Braude's Bites

Dinner Party to End all Dinner Parties

2011-11-15T22:41:00.005-05:00

One week later and I think that I have finally recuperated from the Dinner Party to End all Dinner Parties. I stumbled across the cooking blog Food52.com a few years ago and in celebration of their new cookbook called “The Food52 Cookbook", they encouraged fans to host a dinner party and in return they would provide five copies of their new cookbooks, four bottles of wine from lot18.com and kitchen swag from Oxo for free, yup free - true story. I’ve been meaning to host a dinner party for a while so this helped to put the wheels in motion.

I struggled with the menu for a bit, with over 15 attendees – I had to represent and bring my A-game. I got all the inspiration I needed when I attended a cooking class at De Gustibus Cooking School with Dan Kluger who is the executive chef at ABC Kitchen and won the James Beard Award for Best Chef of 2010. For the record, it was my friend Pooja and I at the cooking demonstration, along with a slew of Jewish senior citizen; the check-in process was a riot, “Rosenberg, Schwartz, Cohen, Iscovitch…”. Remember the show Golden Girls, “Picture this, 2011 - New York City”….

After a 6-course meal including wine pairings, we learned how to make Tuna Sashimi with Ginger and Mint, Butter Head Lettuce with a Pistachio Vinaigrette, Roasted Market Beans, Roasted Butternut Squash with Parmesan Cheese and Pumpkin Seeds, Fried Organic Chicken and Baked Apple Dumplings. I was full, drunk and inspired.

My menu consisted of the Dan Kluger’s Butterhead Lettuce with Pistachio Vinaigrette, Dan Kluger’s Roasted Beet Salad with Greek Yogurt, Spare Ribs from Norene Giltez’ Second Helpings, Balsamic glazed Chicken, Lisa Braude’s Ratatouille, Roasted Mushroom Medley, Roasted Asparagus, Dan

Kluger’s Roasted Butternut Squash with Parmesan Cheese, Smitten Kitchen’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes and homemade Butterlane Banana cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the Food52 cookbook in time to incorporate the recipes into my dinner #fail, but it was a feast that resulted in numerous marriage proposals from my girlfriends. (Note to my girlfriends - you are all amazing but I’m not going that route just yet, my strategy is that some Jewish man will fall head over heels for me once he sees my goods – not those goods, well maybe those goods – just kidding mom.).

Now that you know my ulterior motive for this blog post, I might want to keep these recipes on the down low or...I could just share them.

Hands down, the Veal Spare Ribs from Norene Gilletz’ Second Helpings took home the award for most requested recipe (Shout out to Norene who actually reads Braude’s Bites).

Number Seven Spare Ribs:

2lbs Veal Ribs ( I special ordered them and asked the butcher to cut them 1” x 1”)

7 tbsp Brown Sugar

7 tbsp Soya Sauce ( I used gluten free)
7 tbsp Water

3 or 4 cloves of Crushed Garlic

Brown Ribs in a skillet to remove excess fat. Combine remaining ingredients. Add ribs and bake at 350 for 1 hour. I cooked the ribs in my slow cooker over night for 6 hours – which resulted in succulent fall off the bone deliciousness.

Ok Next up on the list is the Butterhead Lettuce with Pistachio Vinaigrette, one of my friends was eating the dressing by the spoonful (she even came over for leftovers the next evening and drowned her food in it, it was everywhere).

Butterhead Lettuce with Pistachio Vinaigrette

For the Dressing:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (Dan suggests Arbequina California Olive Ranch which can be bought at Whole Foods)

1/4 cup + 2 tbs. raw pistachios

1/2 Thai chile, seeded and minced ( I skipped this, I bought it and sampled it and almost lost my taste buds)

4 tsp. lemon juice

3 tbs. Champagne vinegar (Dan suggests Sparrow Lane)

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

For the Salad:

2 heads Butterhead lettuce

2 tbs. chives, finely chopped

2 tbs. oregano, finely chopped

2 tbs. mint, finely chopped

2 tbs. tarragon, finely chopped

8 French breakfast radishes, thinly sliced into rounds

1/2 cup Sevillano or Manzanilla olives, pitted and chopped

For the Dressing: In a small pot, heat olive oil and pistachios together over a low flame until warm (be careful not to burn the nuts, I toasted the pistachios without oil and only added oil at the very very end. For those of my less knowledgeable friends, heating oil for longer than a few minutes can be really dangerous (i.e. Smokey the Bear, dangerous).

Place warm pistachios in food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Immediately pour pistachio mixture into bowl with Thai chile, and let sit for ten minutes. Add lemon juice, Champagne vinegar, kosher salt, and ground pepper.

Thanks to the gals at Food52, Lot18.com, Oxo and all my dinner guests, regrets to those who didn’t make it (morons). Thanks to Gwen Hyman for helping me identify Butterhead lettuce and for knowing so much about lettuce in general (check out her cookbooks that she writes with her husband at http://andrewcarmellini.com). Props to my colleagues for being the best guinea pigs ever #whatfightdiet!?

Enjoy,
Cara

Cooking 101: Baked Salmon and a few side dishes…

2011-04-05T23:43:00.008-04:00

You know how everyone has a staple dish or recipe?! It’s a wham-bam-thank-you-m’am kind of culinary creation that is quick, easy and perhaps even healthy!? The one recipe that you could cook with your eyes closed (although not recommended or endorsed by Braude’s Bites).

For those who need a bit of Cooking 101, this is one of the first recipes that I usually share with the “culinary challenged”.

My mother has been baking this dish for years so I give credit, where credit is due.
Without further adieu, I present:

Baked Salmon:

Ingredients:
Salmon Fillet

Mayonnaise

Paprika
Garlic Powder

Instructions:
1. Wash fish under water and pat dry.

2. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the top of the fish

3. Sprinkle a bit of paprika and onion powder

4. Bake in your toaster oven or in the oven at 350 F for 15 minutes (Put your oven fan on so that you don’t stink up your kitchen)

5. Feel free to broil the fish for the last 1-2 minutes to get a crusty flake on top (be careful not to burn your fish)

This dish goes well with these easy side dishes:

Sautéed Kale (inspired by the recipe from the restaurant Westvill in NYC)

Clean kale and pat dry
Chop the kale like it was lettuce
Add 1 chopped shallots with 1 tbsp of olive oil to frying pan
Heat on low until onions are transparent (be very careful when heating oil!)
Add kale and ½ cup of white wine, dash of salt and pepper
Cover lid on pan until the kale is cooked

Baked Potato

Wash and scrub potato
Stab potato repeatedly with a fork
Place in microwave for 10 minutes on high

Roasted Asparagus

Clean asparagus
Sprinkle with 1 tbsp oil and a dash of salt and pepper
Put asparagus on a roasting pan for 15 minutes at 350

Steamed Asparagus

Clean asparagus
Insert asparagus in a Pyrex dish
Fill Pyrex dish with a centimeter of water
Cover Pyrex with saran wrap and microwave for 6 minutes
Careful of steam when removing saran wrap
Remove asparagus from water
Upon serving, sprinkle with salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice

Roasted Veggies

Slice and clean all veggies (Ideas: mushrooms, onions, peppers, baby carrots, beets, parsnip)
Put on a baking sheet and drizzle with 4 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp of Italian seasoning and a dash of salt and pepper
Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350

Keep in mind that bikini season is on its way.

Also please note that Sherri has been a tad occupied feeding this lil guy, meet Justin -formerly known as Junior. He isn't into solids just yet but he has exhibited behavior of wanting to eat everything. Future Braude's Bites Guinea Pig.

Enjoy.
Chef Cara

The Baby Shower for "Junior"

2010-11-28T20:35:00.012-05:00

Auntie Cara here (well not YET but VERY soon). I couldn’t be more excited to meet “Junior” and in celebration of his highly anticipated arrival, I hosted a small baby shower for Sherri at her home in New Jersey. I take party planning very seriously, think Bree Van de Kamp from Desperate Housewives with a touch of Martha Stewart. A bit of a scary combo. The party planning began 13 days prior to the big day on my flight home from Spain, Ole! I was organized, focused and determined. Theme, Décor, Gift Bags, Invites – Check! A few of the highlights from the menu included:

Goat Cheese & Sun Dried Tomato Frittata – Props go out to Jodie Frenkiel for introducing me to this recipe. As one of the founding members of the Gourmet Cooking Club in New York and in Montreal, she has made this recipe for both chapters. It is easy, impressive and yummy. Here is a link to the recipe: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/spinach_frittata/

Mini Nigella Lawson Key Lime Pies – Blogged by the mom-to-be in 2006, the same year that she married Leebo: http://sherribraude.blogspot.com/2006/10/talias-bridal-shower-oh-my-key-lime.html

Smitten Kitchen Peanut Butter Balls – These were by far the most talked about dish at the baby shower! I got this recipe from the an amazing blog called Smitten Kitchen and I added my own twist by sprinkling some Fleur de Sels, here it is: http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/buckeyes/

Banana Magnolia Pudding – When the tourists come to NYC, they usually head to Magnolia to stand in line for a cupcake. The cupcakes at Magnolia are decent but it is the Banana Pudding that is the real star.

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups ice cold water
1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix (preferably Jell-O brand)
3 cups heavy cream
1 (12-ounce) box Nabisco Nilla Wafers (no substitutions!)
4 cups sliced ripe bananas

1. In a small bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the pudding mix and beat well, about 2 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight, before continuing. It is very important to allow the proper amount of time for the pudding mixture to set.

2. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.

3. To assemble the dessert, you can assemble in tumbler glasses for individual portions or you can select a large, wide bowl (preferably glass) with a 4-5-quart capacity.

4. Arrange one-third of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then one-third of the bananas and one-third of the pudding. Repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer of the pudding. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours - or up to 8 hours, but no longer! - before serving.

Tuna & Mushroom Quiche – This is a recipe passed down from my Mom, no idea where it originated from – possibly a Norene Gilletz recipe

Dough
½ cup Butter
½ cup Cream Cheese
1 cup Flour
2 tbsp Sugar

Filling
1 tin Tuna
1 Onion, grated
2 Eggs
1 can Mushrooms, drained

Topping
½ lb Grated Mozzarella Cheese

1. Combine all ingredients for the dough in a Mix Master and pat down into a 9” pie plate. Bake the dough for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

2. Add Filling and then spread the mozzarella cheese over the top. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Here are a few additional pictures of the festivities!

Is this Thanksgiving or Nesting?

2010-11-25T10:45:00.006-05:00

Every year, we go to DC for the annual family movie madness weekend. It is largely an excuse to eat a lot of everything (teriyaki steaks, popcorn, ayerkuuuuken- don't ask me to explain these!) and to spend most of the weekend making fun of eachother's movie taste. We usually have a plan for 7-8 movies and get in no more than 5 due banter time (the best part). I will use this forum to state that Dirty Dancing really is the best movie ever. Not an opinion, a fact. Although, I watched Benjamin Button last night & what a great movie to make a 39 week prego cry!

Anyway, I digress. Cousin Eve always makes delicious popovers for breakfast at movie weekend. She inspired me to get a popover tin at Williams-Sonoma over a year ago. It moved to the burbs with us and has been sitting unused next to my muffin tin....

This morning, some fate set in. I hit Google on my IPAD and the "GOOGLE" banner had of course become Thanksgiving themed. When you click on it, all Ina Garten's Thanksgiving recipes show up, popovers included! 8:30 am, in bed and think to myself- what better excuse? I am very pregnant , it is Thanksgiving and Lee is home to enjoy breakfast with me!

Delicious. Ina states three rules that you see everywhere on popovers:

1. preheat the pan for a couple of minutes

2. Don't fill popover pan more that 1/2 full

3. Do not peek inside the oven at all- keep that door closed!

They're so easy to make, require no weird ingredients, zero prep time and they make the perfect breakfast with some jam. My poor popover pan won't be abandoned anymore!

I halfed the recipe and made 6 and it worked out perfectly.

Barefoot Contessa Parties (great cookbook!) - Ina Garten's Popovers

Makes 12 popovers- I used one pan and made 6

1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan (I used Pam)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted

3/4 tsp kosher salt

3 extra large eggs at room temp

1 1/2 cups whole milk at room temp

Preheat oven to 425. Place tins inside for a few minutes to heat them up. Mix all ingredients together. Use a bowl or measuring cup with a spout to pour in each popover- no more than half full. Place in oven. 30 minutes. Do not peek!

Serve hot with some coffee (you know which brand!) & my favorite OJ, Simply Orange!

Bonnie's Baba Ghanouj (Smoky Eggplant Dip)

2010-11-23T17:13:00.004-05:00

38.5 weeks pregnant & enjoying my nesting! Bonnie Stern is my new Ina Garten. From my experience so far, her recipes are always great. She does a delicious, velvety butternut squash soup (just froze enough for my whole maternity leave) and an outstanding rib roast. Haven't had a bomb yet. Her book, "Friday Night Dinners", has a lot of comfort recipes that piqued my interest that I have been meaning to make...The recipes aren't time intensive and the book is so well put together with great pics.

This one was simple and delicious. Great appetizer for a holiday meal or as a mezze with flatbread!

2 large eggplants
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup mayo
2 tbsp tahina (optional and I didn't use)
Dash hot pepper sauce, optional (and I am 39 weeks pregnant and am on enough Tums already!)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (I skipped due to laziness, sure this or parsley would be delicious)

Roast eggplants on parchment at 400 for 40 to 50 minutes until tender or collapsed. You can also put on bbq for 15-20 and turn frequently. Cool.

Place eggplants in a sieve over a bowel and remove and discard skin. Cut eggplants and press out excess liquid.

Mix lemon juice, garlic, salt and mayo. Add tahina and hot sauce if using.

Add in eggplant and sprinkle with cilantro.

Enjoy!

Roasted Eggplant Spread

2010-09-26T10:31:00.005-04:00

First Rosh Hashanah in our new house brought some new winners and to be honest, some flops.
Our world famous gefilte fish can not be discussed, it will upset my mother too much. It flopped for first time ever. And to make matters worse, we had scheduled a throwdown with the neighbors...lesson: overpromising and underdelivering is not a good feeling, don't do it!
Could it have been the New Jersey sourced fish? The new oven? The not enough time to chill? Let's just say we need to course correct in preparation for next year. Poor Geneve was over and might be scarred. We will fix that.

My chicken soup and matzo balls came out world class though! I am going to need to make more and freeze it! My mother also made a new apple cake from Bonnie Stern's HeartSmart that was a huge hit that I did again that week for break fast.

Onto the subject at hand...This roasted eggplant appetizer was enjoyed by everyone, event those who pretend they don't like eggplant (Lee). It is of course Ina Garten, so it is an obvious 5 star!
Here is the recipe:

Roasted Eggplant Spread
Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Enjoy with pita!

Le Club de Cuisine Gourmet et Chef Alyssa

2010-08-08T19:01:00.013-04:00

Food is all about friends – what’s the point in making a mind-blowing dish if you cant share it with someone? Let’s be honest sometimes its also comforting to know that your friends are united in the calorie intake – if my jean aren’t going to fit, neither are hers. Right?

Well August 8^th proved to be one of the days. Jodie, one of the founding members of the Gourmet Cooking Club in New York city recently made the transition to Montreal and we decided that we were taking the club international. Bienvenue a Quebec, we welcome Le Club de Cuisine Gourmet.

The first get together took place at Jodie’s apartment – she made her Frittata, Mel made Greek Yogurt Parfait’s, Alana made a Patty Greenberg classic cheese pie and Anne-Marie made her own version of the Lemon and cracked pepper scones from the Food Network. This was food comatose 1 of the day. Oh la la.

Jet Setter over here decided that hosting a dinner party 45 minutes after her plane landed at LGA was a strategic decision. With the 15-minute interval between my arrival and the arrival of my guests – I tag teamed my apartment with Mr. Clean, My Vacuum Cleaner, Clorox Wipes and Windex. A shout-out to Fresh Direct for delivering my ingredients.

Cut to Scene 2. This dinner party wasn’t just a dinner party – this was an attempt to teach Alyssa R. how to seduce Jon A with her new cooking skills. Who cares if this girl can run 4 triathlons a month, the question is – can she cook? Well – we invited Amanda and Lauren over to be our guinea pigs. More important than the execution of the menu was the need for an agenda to streamline the conversation of “does this bathing suit make me look hot?” to “what do you mean you haven’t seen “x: youtube video?”.

Food comatose 2 was brought on by a menu that consisted of hummus, roasted eggplant dip, fattouche salad, greek chicken, corn on the cobb, grilled Australian veggies and mini Patty Greenberg trifles.

The real test is to see if Alyssa can recreate these dishes for her man who will be the ultimate guinea pig. Here are the recipes Alyssa – I would train for this like you train for marathons.

Chicken a la Greque:

1 tbsp Oregano

½ tsp Salt

¼ tsp Pepper

1 Chicken, cut up

¼ cup Olive Oil

2 tbsp Lemon Juice

1. Preheat oven to 400 .

2. Combine oregano, salt and pepper . Rub over chicken.

3. Arrange in 13 x 9 x 2 dish,

4. Blend together Olive Oil and Lemon Juice. Pour over chicken pieces.

5. Bake 40-55 minutes (first 15 minutes covered, uncover 40 minutes)

Australian Peppers - Thyme-Roasted Capsicums and Tomatoes

2 medium red peppers

2 medium green peppers

2 medium yellow peppersd

4 small tomatoes, halved

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp cracked black pepper

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or dry thyme)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Cut peppers intro strips. Combine peppers, tomatoes and garlic on a baking sheet, sprinkle with combined sugar, pepper and thyme; drizzle with oil.

Bake, uncovered, in hot oven about 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar just before serving - optional. I also added zucchini and yellow squash.

Patty Greenbergs’s Skor Dessert Trifle

10 Chocolate Skor Bars ( I used Snickers because Skor is hard to find in the US)

2 package chocolate pudding (Already made – i.e. Snack Pack)

1 package instant Chocolate cake mix (bake in 9 x 13 pan and cut into 1 inch cubes)

2 packages real nutriwhip cream

Directions:

Follow instruction on instant cake mix (i.e Betty Crocker). Let cake cool and then cut cake into cubes.

Once cake is cool, layer the following ingredients in a clear glass:

Cake, Pudding, Choppred Skor, Nutriwhip

Leave in fridge until ready to serve.
Make recipe 1 day before serving.
xoxo Chef Cara

Roasted veggie quinoa

2010-07-25T20:59:00.004-04:00

Since we've moved to the burbs, I find myself cooking a lot more. The restaurants around here are average at best and there aren't many delivery options. I also have more space and get to watch food tv and the all new cooking channel while experimenting with new recipes.
Tonight, i decided to try the quinoa that I picked up at a gourmet food show. Quinoa is really interesting cause it is a whole grain and a protein. It is chock full of nutrients, low in calories, high in fiber and makes an unreal replacement for noodles.

very easy, healthy recipe came out of it:

Roast assorted veggies with olive oil and garlic at 425. Try eggplant, peppers, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms and red onion.
While veggies are roasting for a good 30 minutes, cook quinoa according to package directions. Make dressing of equal parts olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Mix it all together....easy,healthy delicious dinner with all pantry and fridge staples.

Bran Flax Muffins

2010-07-09T21:55:00.003-04:00

Tasty, super healthy recipe from the side of the Bob Red Mill's Flaxseed Meal (sold at Whole Foods and almost everywhere). They don't photograph well, so I won't try. They're perfect snacks that are packed with 5 grams of fiber.

1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat or Unbleached white Pastry Flour
3/4 cup Ground Flaxseed meal
3/4 cup Oat Bran
1 cup Brown Sugar
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 1/2 cups finely shredded Carrots
2 peeled and shredded Apples
1/2 cup Raisins
1 cup chopped Nuts (I use pecans or walnuts)
3/4 cup Milk
2 beaten Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla

Directions:
Mix together flour, Bob's Red Mill Flaxseed Meal, oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in carrots, apples, raisins (if desired) and nuts. Combine milk, beaten eggs and vanilla. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until ingredients are moistened. DO NOT OVER MIX. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.

Yield: 15 medium muffins

Notes:
You can also use 1 1/2 cups Unbleached White Flour in place of the Whole Wheat Pastry Flour.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
One muffin contains Calories 220, Calories from Fat 80, Fat 9g, Saturated Fat 0.5g, Cholesterol 30mg, Sodium 310mg, Carbohydrates 34g, Dietary Fiber 5g, Sugar 21g, Protein 6g.

Jicama what?! Jicama who?!

2010-06-15T23:03:00.007-04:00

What the hell is Jicama? That was my initial thought when I ordered a salad from the café at my office in Tribeca but I figured that I had nothing to lose since they always make incredible lunches (don’t even get me started on the Creamy Tomato Soup with mini grill cheese croutons and drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar Reduction).

I discovered that Jicama is pronounced with a silent “J”, as in Jesus from Mehico. Jicama is a crispy, sweet, edible root that resembles a turnip in physical appearance. Jicama is a great source of vitamin c and is fat free—making it a superb on-the-go snack.

When I was making my fresh direct order this week, I saw that Jicama was in the house (doesn’t that sound better now that you know how to pronounce it?).

I decided that I was going to replicate my lunch – sure enough I found the recipe on Epicurious.com and ended up adding my own gourmet touch.

1 ears fresh corn
1 small mangoes, peeled, pitted, coarsely chopped
1/2 jicama, peeled, chopped or shredded
1 cup chopped red onion (I used Shallots)
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (I skipped this)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Serves 1 (me!)

Cook corn in pot of boiling salted water 2 minutes. Drain and cool corn. Cut off enough kernels and place corn in medium bowl. Add mangoes, jicama, red onion, cilantro and lime juice. Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Serve cold.

Then I took the salad a step further – I served it over a bed of Mache lettuce (a.k.a Lambs lettuce) and added pan fried scallops that were sautéed in a touch of butter and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Et voila – mon souper!

The Perfect Summer Salad: Avocado & Hearts of Palm

2010-06-13T18:49:00.006-04:00

Every time I go back home, I go through my mother's new cookbooks and photocopy the good stuff. I got this recipe from Panache, a kosher cookbook put together by 100 young Montrealers for the Montreal Jewish General Hospital's emergency department. This was light, fast and perfect for a BBQ (see my new suburban tag for BBQ suggestions!). It appealed to Naomi, who is a healthy one, and to the boys who were chowing on dogs and burgers.

It's easy, healthy (without screaming "healthy") and impresses a crowd. I made some edits...

Avocado & Hearts of Palm Salad
Montreal's Panache Cookbook
20 minutes
Serves 6-8 people

Dressing:
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp dijon or spicy mustard
1/2- 1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper

Salad:
Pint of chery tomatoes, halfed
can of 14 oz hearts of palms (drain and slice or by them already sliced at Whole Foods)
2-3 scallions, sliced
1-2 avocados, peeled and cubed
2-3 Tbsp pine nuts (I am obsessed with Sahale nuts lately, so I used Valdosta Pecans instead and yum! You can get them at most places now)
1-1 1/2 lbs steamed asparagus, cut into chunks (I skipped)

Combine dressing ingredients. Place tomatoes, asparagus, hearts of palm and scallions in a serving dish. Add dressing. Toss gently. Add avocados and nuts just before serving.

Bon Appetit!

Gourmet Cooking Club: Cara, Carrots & Cream Cheese

2010-06-06T18:56:00.017-04:00

Since my arrival in NYC, I’ve joined a Gourmet Cooking Club where a bunch of us get together every month and we do a potluck dinner with a theme and at the end of the year we put together a cookbook of all of our recipes. Does life get any better than this? I have found my people.

My first Gourmet Club was last season, which was a picnic in Central Park and I made my signature Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. Technically this was my initiation into the group and the Food Blog definitely gave me some “street cred”. These ladies are hardcore., as in one of them even took lessons at Cordon Bleu. Oh la la!!! They don’t make simple recipes, they don’t use mixes and everything they cook looks like it came from Jean-Georges’ kitchen. We are talking about fresh pizza, homemade fruit tarts, French Toast Casseroles… you get it.

Since my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread initiation, I have had some minor mishaps! Once my Coffee Cake broke and another time my Bubby Lucy cookies turned out limp – I killed a family recipe, brutal.

Tonight’s Gourmet Cooking Club is a “Farm to Table” theme – I wasn’t sure what I was going to make but I knew that I needed to redeem myself. Don’t get me wrong, these girls are great and we’re not competing against each other. This was more of a personal challenge (Oprah Style).

I realized that I’ve never made a real cake, like the one with two layers that you need to ice. I googled, I looked through cookbooks, checked out the archive of Braude Family Recipes and I decided I was going all the way. A standard rule in entertaining is to not make a recipe for the first time when you have guests. Your immediate family (circle of trust), your significant other, your doorman – these people are your trial and error crew – not your guests. Capiche?!

Tonight, I went against this golden rule and decided that I was going to make my first Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing. This recipe came from FineCooking.com. Given that the cake is currently in my fridge – I can't tell you if it is actually good, but you know sometimes when you have that gut feeling. I will let the ladies of the Gourmet Club judge.

I am also recording the cake here, just in case the ride over to 57^th and Lexington isn’t smooth (24 streets and 2 avenues over in a New York cab is risky).

Classic Carrot Layer Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

by Abigail Johnson Dodge

Serve twelve to fourteen.

Yields one 9-inch layer cake.

For the cake

1 cup canola, corn, or vegetable oil; more for the pans

2 cups (9 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1-3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

3/4 tsp. table salt

4 large eggs

2-1/2 cups (8-3/4 oz.) lightly packed, finely grated carrots

2 cups packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1/2 cup raisins

1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the frosting

1 lb. cream cheese, softened

12 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened

1 lb. (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar

4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3/4 tsp. table salt

Make the cake

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil and flour the sides of two 9x2-inch round cake pans, tapping out any excess flour. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the oil, eggs, carrots, brown sugar, walnuts, raisins, and vanilla on medium speed until well blended, about 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just blended, about 30 seconds. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

Bake until the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly pressed and a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 28 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pans on a rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edge of the pans to loosen the cakes, invert them onto the rack, remove the pans, and carefully peel away the parchment. Set the cakes aside to cool completely before frosting.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with the mixer on medium speed until very smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat on medium high until blended and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Cover the frosting and set aside at room temperature until the layers are completely cool.

Carefully set one cake upside down on a large, flat serving plate. Using a metal spatula, evenly spread about 1-1/2 cups of the frosting over the top of the cake. Top with the remaining cake layer, upside down. Spread a thin layer (about 1/3 cup) of frosting over the entire cake to seal in any crumbs and fill in any gaps between layers. Refrigerate until the frosting is cold and firm, about 20 minutes. Spread the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. The cake is best served slightly chilled or at room temperature. The flavors of this moist cake only improve with time, so feel free to bake and frost the cake up to a few days ahead.

Nutrition information (per serving): (perhaps too much information?)

Calories (kcal): 840; Fat (kcal): 54; Fat Calories (g): 480; Saturated Fat (g): 22; Protein (g): 8; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 20; Carbohydrates (g): 86; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 9; Sodium (mg): 550; Cholesterol (mg): 150; Fiber (g): 2;

Wish me luck! Off to the Gourmet Cooking Club!
Chef Cara

Bye Bye Big Apple

2010-06-06T18:44:00.009-04:00

Live from the burbs in New Jersey – it’s the Sparaga/Braude family BBQ . With more than 100 sq ft of kitchen, Sherri and I tag teamed the “situation” under the supervision of Mom. Everyone pitched in, including Leebo who managed the BBQ and even Chip who did the groceries. Guests included the Boidmans in check with Lilly and the Kos from Atlanta.

The menu included: Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Geneve’s Moroccan Chicken, Second Helpings Coleslaw, Barefoot Contessa’s Corn Salad and Sherri’s Berry Crumble. The Corn Salad was the top contender with five star reviews from all. Basil, our favorite herb, makes this salad very summery! The berry crumble always gets rave reviews and is always fun with vanilla bean ice cream.

Barefoot Contessa Fresh Corn Salad

Ingredients:

5 cobs of Corn (substitution: 2 cans of corn)
½ cup Basil, cut into Ribbons

½ cup diced Red Onion
3 tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar
3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ tsp Sea Salt
½ tsp Ground Pepper

We kicked off the salad by tossing the corn on the grill for 10-15 minutes; each cob was wrapped in tinfoil and seasoned with salt, pepper and oil. It’s best to soak the corn in water for a few hours prior to the BBQ so that they don’t burn. If you’re looking to skip a step – you can cook the corn in boiling water on the stove top or use corn from the can. Once the corn is cool, shuck it into a large bowl and add all remaining ingredients. Serve salad cold or at room temperature.

Chef Cara

Steak and Pepper Fajitas

2010-04-02T11:45:00.002-04:00

I was skimming through Fitness Magazine on the eliptical machine & stole this recipe! I made it for Cara and Lee and they both raved about it....It is going to become a staple in our house- 416 calories, 32 g protein, 38 g carbs, 16 g fat (4.3 g saturated) & 7 g fiber! Less for me since I hate cheese :)

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook time: 25 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

1 lb flank or hanger steak (I used flank)
Juice of 1 Lime
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp mild chile powder
3 tsp oil
1/2 red onion, sliced
3 bell prepper (red, yellow and orange)
1/2 cup corn
8 small tortillas (I use whole wheat)
2 tbsp cilantro (I skipped!)

I also made it with my guacamole (other people add low fat Monterey Jack and sour cream, but you know how I feel about dairy!)

2 ripe avocados
1 small onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 tsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
3 tbsp cilantro
kosher salt
pepper
splash of tabasco
chopped tomatoes at end

Marinate steak in lime juice, salt, garlic and chile powder in sealed back for 20-30 minutes (love that you don't need to prep ahead!). As it is marinating, make guacamole!

Heat a large skillet over high heat for 5 mins. Add 2 tsp of oil to pan. Add red onins, bell peppers- toss frequently for 5 mins. Add corn and continue until peppers are charred and soft, about 3 more minutes. Transfer veggies to a bowl and keep warm.

Wipe skillet with paper towel and heat for another minute. Add remaining oil. Remove steak from marinade and pat dry w pape towel. Lay steak in pan, reduce heat to medium high and cook 8 mins for medium rare, turning once halfway through. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes! Make sure to let it rest to let it soak up juiciness!

Slice steak across grain and make fajitas!

Roast with Garlic Mustard Rub

2010-02-27T10:48:00.004-05:00

Three years ago, I heard about Bonnie Stern, the Canadian cookbook author from Toronto, for the first time while enjoying an amazing butternut squash soup at Corryn's apt. The recipe made its way into my "most used recipes" every fall & I passed it on to my mom, who now makes it too.

Bonnie recently released a beautiful cookbook, "Friday Night Dinners", that has great family dinner recipes with inspirations from around the globe. With little time to cook, I keep looking at the very homey photos of the food and her family and wanting to start cooking. The perfect occasion came up last night when my parents came in from Montreal.

The recipes in the cookbook live up to the photo hype so far! I made a boneless top sirloin roast for the first time with a meat thermometer and all. It was not only unbelievably easy, it was a perfectly juicy medium rare with a crispy crust. Rave reviews from the Braude clan!
I suggest it for Friday nights or anytime you want to impress! Works great with carrots & parsnips roasted at 425 with olive oil, thyme and honey. Popovers would make a great accompaniment too...

My sister insisted on taking the rustic, non-plated photo..

Check out this link to see Bonnie live on YouTube making this rib roast on CBC tv (she used a standing rib roast, I opted for a boneless top loin)...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5vzp4toY1E. She is so cute, she reminds me of my mom and even pronounces "shallots" the same way!

Rib Roast with Garlic Mustard Rub
Serves 10

If you are using a standing rib roast, be sure to tell the butcher to cut off the chine bone to make it easy to carve between the ribs. If this means the roast won't stand up in the roasting pan, just wedge a couple of peeled onions underneath.

Use a meat thermometer to make sure the roast is cooked to medium-rare. (Don't take a chance after paying so much for such a gorgeous roast).

1/4 cup (50 mL) Dijon mustard
2 tbsp (25 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp (5 mL) dried
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh thyme, or 1 tsp (5 mL) dried
1 tbsp (15 mL) kosher salt
1 tbsp (15 mL) pepper
1 6-lb (3 kg) standing rib roast, boneless rib roast or strip sirloin roast
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3/4 cup (175 mL) dry red wine
1 cup (250 mL) beef stock

In a small bowl, combine mustard, oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Smear roast all over with mustard rub. Place in a shallow roasting pan, fat side up.

Roast meat in a preheated 425 degrees F oven for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F and continue to roast for 1 1/4 to 2 hours, or until a meat thermometer reaches 130 degrees F for medium-rare. (I did a 4.25 lb boneless top loin for 5 people and it took 20 minutes at 425 and 1.5 hours at 375)

Transfer roast to a cutting board and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving. While roast is resting, place roasting pan on stove over medium-high heat and skim off fat. Add shallots and wine and cook until reduce to 2 tbsp (25 mL). Add stock and cook until reduced to a 1/2 cup (125 mL). To carve, remove string from roast.

If using standing rib roast, cut off bones in one piece by cutting between meat and bones. Cut bones apart and serve with meat (to guests who want them the most!). Turn roast over on carving board so it is sitting boned side down and carve into slices.

Spoon juices over roast when serving. Enjoy with your family & friends

Nigella's Mirin Glazed Salmon

2009-12-27T21:05:00.003-05:00

We got home from vacation yesterday with a few extra holiday lbs. Unsure of what the culprit could have been; guacamole every day? margaritas during the day? vino and dessert every night? Or maybe the pain au chocolat I had with my breakfast in Mexico everyday...Was I not in Paris?

Anyway, after visiting the newest and cutest addition to the Colla family, I scooted over to the new Gourmet Garage for some ingredients for a home cooked meal. Got in a cab home 40 blocks= $27.00 and 30 minutes...go home tourists.

Good news is this healthy recipe took 8 minutes all in. The salmon was perfectly pink in the middle and the heat formed a gorgeous, sweet outer crust. I bought Nigella Express @ the 2008 NYC Food and Wine Festival "Nigella Talks". She was the buxom babe you see on TV...

I admit I have way too many unused cookbooks. My resolution for 2010 is to use them more to find quick & light creations like this one!

Mirin Glazed Salmon

Nigella Express, serves 4

"This must be the fastest possible way to create a culinary sensation. You do scarcely a thing — just dip some salmon filets in a dark glossy potion, most of which you get out of jars — and what you make tastes as if you had been dedicating half your life to achieving the perfect combination of sweet, savory, tender, and crisp." Mirin and Rice vinegar are in the Asian aisle of all grocery stores.

1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

4 4-oz pieces of salmon, cut from the thick part of the fillet so that they are narrow but tall rather than wide and flat

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1–2 scallions, halved and shredded into fine strips

1. Mix the mirin, sugar, and soy in a shallow dish that will hold all 4 pieces of salmon, and marinate the salmon in it for 3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the second. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet on the stove.

2. Cook the salmon in the hot, dry pan for 2 minutes and then turn it over, add the marinade, and cook for another 2 minutes.

3. Remove the salmon to whatever plate you're serving it on, and add the rice vinegar to the hot pan.

4. Pour the dark, sweet, salty glaze over the salmon and top with the scallion strips. Serve with rice or noodles as you wish, and consider putting some sushi ginger on the table, too.

James Beard Parsnip Soup

2009-11-29T21:10:00.003-05:00

I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not a good photographer. With that being said, I couldn't get a good photo of my parsnip soup. Instead, I thought I'd post this gorgeous photo of the Empire State Building on the night of Thanksgiving.

I found this recipe on the James Beard House's email blast and stumpled upon it as the summer was drawing to a close. This soup is great for fall and would be a great way to start Thanksgiving. While the soup has the velvety texture of a butternut squash soup, it has a taste uniquely of its own. The roasted parsnips yield a subtle, yet sweet taste. I enjoyed, hope you do too! The recipe called for a spice oil, but I don't have time for spice oils....

Mary Cleaver's Parsnip Soup

Makes 8 to 10 servings

INGREDIENTS:
2 ½ pounds parsnips, peeled and diced

1/2 cup olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

10 cups vegetable stock, warmed

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss the parsnips with ¼ cup of the olive oil, salt, and pepper in an oven proof roasting pan. Add 2 cups of the stock, cover, and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and roast until the liquid is absorbed and the parsnips are a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Heat the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes, then add cumin and coriander. Saute for about 5 minutes or until the spices are fragrant, then add the remaining 8 cups of warmed stock and the braised parsnips to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully puree the soup in a blender and blend until smooth, in batches if necessary. If a more silken texture is desired, pass the puree through a fine sieve. You may need to add more liquid if the parsnips are particularly starchy and the puree is too thick. Adjust seasoning and serve.

I (heart) Joe.

2009-09-06T18:42:00.016-04:00

Cara here, little Braude’s Bites blogger - Im re-introducing myself because Im the “new girl”. Not new to this blog - but new to the Big Apple. Ive been “dans le jus” setting up health insurance, banking and hosting numerous squatters, which explains the lack of postings (sorry about that). Although this doesn't mean that I haven't been cooking - au contraire my friends! I no longer have the privilege of stopping by my parents house for free ready-made yummy meals and “shopping” (a.k.a stealing) my parents pantry which we had affectionately nicknamed Loblaws.  

 I have so many recipes that I want to blog about that I honestly don’t know where to begin!? So - I’m going to start where all recipes begin, at the grocery store! D’Agostini, Food Emporium, Whole Foods, Gristedes, Fresh Direct - lets just say that I haven't exactly been faithful, its my lil black book of grocery stores and they all have their pluses and minuses.   This afternoon with no clear objective in mind, I headed out for a stroll looking to further explore my hood. Since everything closes for labour day, thought it might be a smart idea to try and find one of those fruit stands on the corner to re-stock my fridge. Apparently, along with the rest of the Manhattan population, the dudes with fruit stands also leave the city for the long weekend. Awesome.

  One of the things about living in NYC, is the need to be “in the know” - like knowing that youre not supposed to stay in the city on long weekend. Right, moving on. You should see how many e-newsletters I receive in my inbox every morning about the newest restaurant openings, the review of the hottest runway collection and the up-to-the-minute celebrity gossip updates. Its absolutely exhausting.  

So here I am - keeping you “in the know” and although this blog may not be relevant to those of you who don’t reside in the US, I feel the need to share my newest addition to my lil black book - his name is Joe, Trader Joe and all I can say is that he has got it going on *snap* *snap*!  

Imagine Grand Central during rush hour, now imagine the same type of traffic in a congested grocery store with small isles. They actually have employees in place to manage and direct the traffic, fine - not a big deal, but they actually take it one step farther, they even have someone standing at the back of the line with a sign that says “Back of the Line”. This is because the line wraps throughout the WHOLE store.

  This line makes the shopping experience a bit awkward because your fellow shoppers who are waiting to pay for their picks are also waiting in the isles that you are shopping in - they are smack dab in front of the dairy, meat, produce and cereal section - its like trying to penetrate a conga line at a bar mitzvah just so you can grab a filet mignon. You need to make it very clear that you are simply entering the line to grab product “x”. Even the re-stocking employee needed to fight tread lightly. Keep in mind, this is New York city - you don’t want to piss people off, so when it comes time to go to the cash, budding in line is NOT an option. 

Speaking of NYC - the guy next to me in line had his bike folded into his carriage - genius. 

So - Im sure you wondering why Im head over heels? Well, in a city where everything is expensive (i.e. My Rent Check) - the concept behind Trader Joes means that they cut out the middle man - they go direct to the farmers so the goods are dirt cheap! I know that we have coined the term Reccessionistas for fashion conscious savers, but I don’t believe a term has been coined for foodies that like to save on their ingredients - Im open to suggestions. I can’t tell you how many times Ive heard my Mom or my Bubby tell each other that the “Blueberries are on sale at Loblaws” or that “You get a Cucumber when you buy $60 or more at IGA in Cavendish Mall”. It always amused me, but I guess with age we do all become like our mothers so people take a look at my savings. Chippy will be proud.  

1 LB of Grape Tomatoes for $2.49 (its usually $2.99 for a small pint) 
1 Package of Arugula 2.99 (its usually $3.99)
 1 Package Jumbo Cooked Non-Kosher Shrimp 31-40 $7.99 (its usually $9.99 - $12.99)
6 Persian Cucumbers $2.59 (normally $3.99) 1 LB Raw Almonds $4.99 (normally $6.99)
3 Peppers - Red, Orange, Yellow - $3.79 (normally $5.99)  

This sign in the store sums it up:  

Ok so crazy lines, long waits, cheap prices - I know what you’re all thinking - the produce is nischt good. Um No. The produce was fresh and comes in Club Price size packaging! They have the largest trail mix and dried fruit section I’ve ever seen in my life.   And last but not least - the products that they have in this store are exceptionally unique. I’ve posted some photos here but a few are worth mentioning: Dark Chocolate covered Edamame, Dark Chocolate covered Ginger, Wasabi Mayo, Lactose Free Toffutti Blintzes, Dried Pineapple, Strawberry Lemonade and a PB&J Bar (Peanut Butter, Milk and Dark Chocolate, Raspberry Jam and Potato Chips).  

The only thing Im wondering about is - What is Canadian White Bread and how exactly it a product of the USA? Eh?

  

Enjoy XOXO 
Mrs. Joe  

Applesauce Carrot Cake Muffins

2009-06-18T22:59:00.004-04:00

One more from Step Up's Goddess Baking Night....

These are great. They don't photograph well, but the volunteers and teens of Step Up do, so I photographed them instead. They're a close runner up to Ellie Krieger's apple muffins that I love. In fact, one disappeared from the fridge and was eaten by my husband- he's not a muffin guy, so it's a testament to their tastiness. This recipe was developed by Marisa Angebranndt, the p(resident) baker of wannahavacookie as a healthier way to make carrot cake.

I enjoyed one for breakfast this am, they're very moist and tasty- didn't keep me full for that long though- need to pair it with a fruit next time.

Applesauce Carrot Cake Muffins

Yields 25-30 muffins, prep time: 30 minutes

4 eggs

2 cups Splenda baking sugar

1 cup natural unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup veg oil (is it healthier to use canola oil?)

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose baking flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp table salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 cups grated carrots (8 medium carrots)

Preheat oven to 350. Grate carrots. Mix dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon) into a bowl, whisk and set aside. Line muffin tins with muffin liners. Mix wet ingredients into a bowl (eggs, Splenda, applesauce, veg oil, vanilla extract) and whisk to ensure there are no lumps.

Mix in dry ingredients and carrots and stir. Scoop mix into muffin pan until they are 2/3 full- don't overfill. Bake for 25 minutes and switch trays half way through to ensure they get evenly baked.

Healthy Baking Goddess Day

2009-06-18T22:21:00.006-04:00

This past week, I went to a "Teen Goddess Healthy Baking Night" at Step Up Women's Network.

I got to meet a lot of nice people, bake some new healthy treats and teach the teenaged girls how to bake with a little less fat and still have fun...

Marisa, a Step Up Member and (P)resident Baker from wannahavacookie, came in to show the girls some of her healthy baking tips while networking with other women who could help her promote her new business venture! Mission accomplished- too bad my blog has 5 readers.

We made awesome cherry almond dark chocolate clusters. I don't even like cherries and I kept sneaking them from the fridge last night. My only regret is not taking more when I left.

It's an Ellie Krieger recipe- she has great "luscious recipes for a healthy life" as her cookbook promises...the night of baking inspired me to flip through her book to find some more gems.

I met her a few weeks back at The Taste of the Upper West Side, where she was enjoying a chilled illy issimo espresso courtesy of yours truly...here she is with her husband, she was as nice as she was on TV.

Ellie Krieger's Cherry Almond Chocolate Clusters
Yields 12 clusters or 24 mini clusters, prep time- 20 minutes
155 calories, 10 grams of fat, only 3 grams of saturated fat (for a regular cluster, not mini)

1 cups almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
6 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped

In a medium bowl, toss together the almonds and the cherries. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Microwave chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 20 seconds, repeat 5-6 times until mostly melted. Remove with an oven mitt and stir for a minute to dissolve all lumps.

Stir the fruit-nut mixture into the chocolate. Spoon out heaping tablespoon-sized clusters of the chocolate mixture onto the baking sheet about 1-inch apart. Put them in the refrigerator to set for 15 minutes. Store and serve at room temperature.

'WichCraft's cucumber soup

2009-04-26T22:38:00.006-04:00

Last summer, I survived the heat with 'wichcraft's cucumber soup. I had never had or had never thought of having chilled cucumber soup until I tried it for the first time @ 'wichcraft.
I tried to replicate it at home with no success, a yogurty mess was in my garbage within seconds of my last stir.

When I met with one of 'wichcraft's owners a few weeks ago, I asked for the recipe. I have been working on the guy for months. I finally got what I wanteds and it called for 40 lbs of cucumbers! He told me to use a baker's formula to convert it to a regular @ home recipe....played with the calculator & an excel spreadsheet and ended up giving up. So I went to my facebook friend, Norene Gilletz, and asked her how to bring the recipe down to a normal home sized amount....she said divide by 4 and then half it..

I did it nervously cause my self esteem couldn't handle another mess up.

Good thing it tasted exactly like 'wichcraft on try #2!

'WichCraft's Cucumber Soup
Serves 5-6 people

5 lbs seedless & peeled cucs
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cups olive oil (I ran out of olive oil at 2/3 cup and didn't taste a difference...)
1 1/2 garlic cloves
1 lb (16 oz) low fat plain yogurt
dried oregano
peppercino (I used crushed red pepper)
kosher salt & ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup red onion, julienned
1/4 cup carrots, julienned

Blend with an immersion blender & chill. Perfect for company- all you have to do is take it out!
Thanks to the fine people @ 'wichcraft for sharing their secret.

Charna’s Tomato and Basil Spaghetti Squash

2009-04-11T20:16:00.009-04:00

The first time I ate Spaghetti Squash, I hated it. Odd consistency and tasted like a water logged noodle. In my opinion, it was a wanna-be carb that would never be approved by Chef Boyardee. I held my ground and refused to eat it - that's until I was invited over to my friend Charna’s house and guess what was being served as the main dish? Now Charna can cook, so with a bit of hesitation and being the polite guest that I am - I indulged. Wow. That's all I need to say. 

If Charna’s creation wasn’t convincing enough, the next factoids might have you making this recipe sooner then you thought. Spaghetti Squash has been coined the “dieter's dream” since a a four-ounce serving of spaghetti squash has only 37 calories. Spaghetti squash contains many nutrients including folic acid, potassium, vitamin A, and beta carotene.  Spaghetti Squash can be stored at room temperature for about a month - buy it, forget it about it and voila, just when you think that you’re all out of groceries and that you might need to order in....Spaghetti Squash to the rescue.

Last but not least, if you’re celebrating passover, this is a great carb substitute that won’t leave you feeling icky (sorry I couldn’t be more eloquent and refined).

Ingredients
serves 4

1 Spaghetti Squash 
1 Package of Chopped Fresh Basil 
2 Packages of Cherry Tomatoes or Grape Tomatoes Halved
1 small block of Crumbled Feta Cheese
1 diced Yellow Onion (Charna doesnt use an onion)
3 Cloves of Crushed Garlic
2-3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
 Salt
 Pepper

Directions 
Clean spaghetti squash and then cut it in half length wise and discard of the seeds and the membrane.   In a glass baking dish arrange the squash halves, cut side down and pour 1/4 cup water around it. Cover the dish tightly with microwave-safe plastic wrap. Microwave the squash at high power (100%) for 12 minutes, or until it is soft when pressed, and let it stand, covered, for 3 minutes.

To prepare the tomato sauce, use a stock pot on the top of the stove at a medium temperature. Cover the base of a stock pot with 1-3 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and add the crushed garlic, chopped yellow onions and the tomatoes and cook for 8 minutes with the lid on. Cook the onions until they are translucent and the tomatoes become mushy, add the chopped fresh basil, salt and pepper and continue to cook the sauce covered for another 8 minutes. Stir the tomatoe sauce continuously and keep an eye out to make sure that it doesn’t burn.

Turn off the stove, add the Spaghetti Squash to the tomato sauce in the stock pot while it is still hot and add the crumbled feta cheese. Stir it all together, Serve and Enjoy!

Chef Cara (see Charna's modifications in the comments)

Payard's Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies: KOSHER FOR PASSOVER!

2009-03-24T21:57:00.003-04:00

Last year I got to work to find heaven on top of the beverage cooler where all the treats were always stored! My friend, Mara Sherman, brought in the most amazing cookies that she made for Passover. Passover, with little exception, means cardboard tasting, flavorless starchy gunk. I need to point out that these cookies are not good by Passover standards, they are sold at Payard, a famous patisserie on the Upper East Side, all year long. I wanted to make them this week, but work is too crazy and I wanted to get them to you before Passover. I promise if you make these this year, you will have happy campers at your seder table. Chewy, gooey and perfect.

Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies
By Robin Raisfeld & Rob Patronite
Published Apr 13, 2008 in New York Magazine

François Payard’s Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies

2 3/4 cups walnut halves
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Spread the walnut halves on a large-rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 9 minutes, until they are golden and fragrant. (1) Let cool slightly, then transfer the walnut halves to a work surface and coarsely chop them. Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and lower temperature to 320. Line two large-rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. (2) In a large bowl, whisk (or combine in an electric mixer on low speed) the confectioners’ sugar with the cocoa powder and salt followed by the chopped walnuts. While whisking (or once you change the speed to medium), add the egg whites and vanilla extract and beat just until the batter is moistened (do not overbeat or it will stiffen). (3) Spoon the batter onto the baking sheets in 12 evenly spaced mounds, and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked; shift the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through to ensure even baking. Slide the parchment paper (with the cookies) onto 2 wire racks. Let cookies cool completely, and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

I hear it's hard to get cookies off parchment- someone recommended dampening the back side of the parchment to get the cookies to slide off!

Hadassa’s Raisin & Spinach Salad

2009-02-02T23:09:00.005-05:00

I eat at least one salad a day - no Im not a rabbit and no you cant tell (yet!!!!) from looking at me, but I am always looking for new way to make my salad exciting! Yes, I just used the word exciting and salad in the same sentence - if you dont believe me, I challenge you to make this salad below. 

This salad is dedicated to my friend Natalie, who will only eats one type of lettuce - Spinach. I'm sorry Natalie if this is a sisterly secretive secret that I wasnt supposed to share with the thousands of subscribers to Braude’s Bites, BUT what are you going to do now that the cat is out of the bag?  

This salad originates from Hadassa Srulovicz, who has taught me many recipes over the years and should be awarded for maintaing a constant supply of homemade israeli food in her refrigerator to keep up with the constant demand of the 3 very hungry men in her life. Without further adieu...

Salad

1 pkg Baby Spinach
4-5 Shallots
2 cups Bean Sprouts
1 pkg Mushrooms
1-2 cups Parsley
1 cups Pine Nuts
½ cup Raisins

Dressing

2 cloves Garlic
¼ cup Soya Sauce
½ cup Olive Oil
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Enjoy!
  Chef Cara

Greek Lima Beans in Tomatoe Sauce, Golden Globe winner for Best Side Dish

2009-01-12T21:47:00.003-05:00

My parents and I discovered this Lima Beans dish during a visit to a local Greek restaurant called Lezvos - we all raved about the dish and my mother did an immaculate job at replicating it. I just served it as a side dish at my Golden Globes party - even though the Hollywood Foreign press wasn’t around to nominate these beans - my friends Charna and Caryn both said that it was award winning. Opa! 

Ingredients: 

28 oz Canned Diced Tomatoes or 6 large tomatoes diced
 2 1/2 tbsp of Tomatoe Paste
1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 clove minced garlic
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup olive oil (I only used 1/4 cup olive oil)
 1 cup water - (omit a bit for canned beans)
3-4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
 1 pound jumbo lima beans or 2 cans lima beans 

Directions: 

 If you are using dry lima beans you must soak them over night in water and then drain, and rinse them. Then place the lima beans in large pot with 16 cups of water and bring water to a boil and cook for 25 minutes. If you are using lima beans from the can you don’t need to soak or boil the lima beans.

Spray a casserole dish (3/4 casserole dish) with Pam. Combine canned diced tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, garlic and chopped onions in the casserole dish. Then add olive oil, lima beans, water, salt and pepper. Bake for 2 hours if the lima beans are dry and bake for 45 minutes if lima beans are from can.

Enjoy!
 Chef Cara

Tofu Scramble with a kick

2009-01-10T15:56:00.005-05:00

A couple of months back, I finally went from looking at the gorgeous "101 cookbooks" blog to trying some of the healthy & natural recipes. I dipped my foot in the water with Heidi Swanson's edamame with lemon vinaigrette- it was tangy and delicious. I'm not a vegan, a granola or a hippie- I just love to cook, bake & keep it healthy most of the time. Her blog is fantastic- so far, I have made 3 of her recipes & resounding success everytime! There is nothing like trying a new recipe, especially a time consuming one, to find that you've wasted your precious time, money and excitement (like last week's average mushroom barley soup that got rave reviews online). Her blog, so far, has proven to be a one stop shop for 5 star healthy and QUICK recipes with relatively few easy to find ingredients.

Here is the recipe:

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/garam-masala-tofu-scramble-recipe.html

Don't let the word "scramble" turn you off- there are no eggs, I hate eggs!

I substituted pistachios & dried cranberries for chickpeas and almonds- you could put in whatever you have in the pantry & fridge.

My apartment smells beautiful and now I have 2 lunches for this week waiting in the fridge.

Perfect for a busy week when I start my new dream job working on launching a new line of authentically Italian illy chilled espressos in New York. How bad could a job be where they send you to illy's coffee university in Soho for 2 days? It would only be appropriate that I make you some illy mocha chip gelato in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Salad with Roasted vEGGies

2009-01-01T13:29:00.007-05:00

Happy New Year’s to all of our Braude’s Bites visitors! Rumor has it that this may be the year of the Ice Cream Maker!  

Woke up this morning with the intention of making an egg white omelet - that did not happen. Plan B was new and exciting and a complete success. We’ve all seen the beautiful glossy pictures in the foodie magazines with a poached egg oozing over a bed of healthy greens. Looks stunning but who really makes that for themselves? Well I did, sort of. 

Ingredients: 
5 Baby Tomatoes on the vine 
a few slices of Red Peppers
 3 Mushrooms 
1/2 small Onion
 Sea Salt
 Ground Pepper
 Italian Seasoning
2 Eggs
 Extra Virgin Olive Oil President Choice
100% Greek Olive Oil
 Arugula

 I sliced all the veggies, glazed with olive oil and put them in my toaster oven to roast for 8 minutes, watch them so they don’t burn - at this point the aromas from the veggies took over my kitchen.   

Next, I arranged the arugula in bowl and seasoned with salt, pepper and the President Choice 100% Greek Olive Oil - any yummy Olive Oil will do!  I cooked two eggs over easy in a frying pan and sprinkled it with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.

  I added the grilled veggies and the egg on the salad and it was heaven.

Enjoy.
  Cara

My First Tagine

2008-12-29T18:33:00.004-05:00

I am not sure what about my trip to Jamaica inspired me to make tagine! Perhaps it was the fairly mediocre food there (minus the beef carpaccio at Half Moon's Il Giardini) that inspired me to get into the kitchen and start trying out some new recipes!

I got this recipe from my friend, Mara, who travels to work with me everyday. She got it from a book she picked up in Morocco- "The Scent of Orange Blossoms" by Danielle Mammane & Kitty Morse.

Loved the buttery taste of the root veggies and the tender beef after they had been roasted so long! Even though it's time intensive, it's just the cook time that takes time- the prep time is extremely minimal.

Next time, I want to spice it up a bit and will add harissa, cinnamon, some honey, some saffron...who knows? You can throw anything in- a sweet potato- whatever...Make it with beef, lamb or chicken and it will be ready to serve to Darren Farber in no time.

Tagine of Beef with Carrots & Turnips (Serves 4)

3 Tbsp olive oil
1.5 lbs boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 3 inch sticks
1 lb small turnips, peeled and quartered
2 onions, quartered
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup water
2 tomatoes, peeled and seeded
10 sprigs cilantro, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 350. In an ovenproof pan (thank god for my Creuset Dutch oven!), heat oil over medium heat. Add meat and cook until brown 5-6 minutes, turn occasionally. Cover the meat with carrots, onions and turnips.

In a small bowl, combine s&p, ginger and turmeric with the water. Pour over the veggies. Seal tightly with aluminum foil and bake until meat is tender, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours.

Sprinkle the tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic over the veggies. Continue to bake uncovered without disturbing the veggies until the tomatoes are cooked for 20-30 minutes.

Serve hot on some couscous to soak up all the delicious juices.

Freeze the rest for a night when you're too lazy to cook!

Stay tuned- I have big plans for Lebanese moussaka and Zingerman's mushroom and barley soup! I also just bought an ice cream maker (thanks little sister for my Williams-Sonoma gift card!) and am so excited to use it!

Teriyaki Steak in a Haze

2008-12-15T21:25:00.004-05:00

I haven't cooked in a while, so I decided to shake it up tonight. I must have been inspired by the the heavenly salty caramel gelato I had at Otto last night. Or maybe it was the olive oil gelato? So glad it's bathing suit time in a matter of days.

I found an old cue card with my handwriting on it; a recipe for teriyaki steak- I don't know where I copied the recipe from, it was definitely from one of my mom's cookbooks. I tend to raid her cookbooks everytime I'm home.

I'm writing to you from a hazy, smoky 700 square foot (it's probably 625 sq feet and they're lying to ROB me monthly), but it's worth it. I just picked up yesterday's NY Times to finish it (so much stress to finish the damn thing!) and Mark Bittman did a bit about "granite being optional for real chefs". I have no fan, hardly any storage space, no outdoor BBQ but I can make it work (and well I may add after tonight's success)! So, I write you this recipe from my very smoky beefy couch! Talia knows what I am talking about- her last kitchen was a science experiment.

I didn't take a picture cause the smoke was a bit excessive. All in the name of a great meal.

Teriyaki Filets
(2) 5 oz center cut filets (or whatever!)
Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp vinegar
3/4 tsp ginger
1 decent size garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper steaks. Marinate for 5-10 minutes. Grill on both sides on a grill pan.
Leave some sauce left over to pour on. I served with stir fried green beans and garlic.

Warm n’ Cozy Mushroom, Bean & Barley Soup

2008-11-30T19:41:00.004-05:00

****please see an updated version of recipe below***

I recently started buying soup by the liter from a cafe on Queenmary road called Cafe Pelligrino. The chef makes the most incredible soups that you can purchase fresh or frozen. Im a big fan of her Bean & Barley and I was determined to replicate her recipe, well I’ve come close - its not an exact but its a great first shot! This recipe is an adaptation from Seriouseats.com blog which was originally adapted from Arthur Schwartz's Jewish Home Cooking cookbook. 

serves 10 to 12

Ingredients
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
3 large carrot, peeled
2 outer ribs celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 1/4 cups barley (1/2 pound)
1 1/2 cup dried baby lima beans
1 ounce dried mushrooms, coarsely crumbled
12 cups (or more) chicken soup
4 cups (or more) water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a larger pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat; sauté the onions until tender and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. 

2. Put the sliced carrot and chopped celery into the pot, Sauté vegetables 3 to 4 minutes more. 

3. Add the barley, lima beans, dried mushrooms, broth, and water.
 
4. Bring to a boil, then partially cover the pot; reduce heat to low so the soup simmers gently.  Cook at a slow, steady simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, until the lima beans and barley are tender. After about 45 minutes, add the salt and pepper.
 
5. At the end of cooking, add a little more water or chicken soup, as necessary, to bring the soup to a thickness you like. Then taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

Enjoy!
Chef Cara

***UPDATE*** I have made another batch of this soup and made a few modifications, the final results were top notch! Instead of using two yellow onions, I only used one and substituted the other onion for a leek. Instead of using croyden house to create my chicken stock, I used 4 cups of Campbells Chicken Broth and 8 cups of water. For the spices, I used 3 bay leafs which I put into the pot when I added the liquid and I spiced the soup with Garlic Powder, Italian Seasoning, Ground Pepper, Salt and McCormicks Mixed Spices (not the same as Allspice). I also added a few baby potatoes!

Ratatouille (pronounced ra-ta-twee)

2008-11-22T10:54:00.010-05:00

“What is Ratatouille?” is a very common question.   

Yes, it is a highly entertaining children's movie produced by Disney that features a rat as a chef. It is also, for the purpose of this Blog, a fantastic meal or side dish that is very healthy and easy to make! It’s a great alternative to soup when you need something warm and cozy on a cold day.

The recipe makes 8 to 10 serving and it can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for a week!   You could be boring and freeze the leftovers OR you can think outside of the box and try using it on top of pasta, as a pizza topping and inside lasagna.

If you're trying to be skinny a.k.a carb cautious, try tossing it in with some spaghetti squash and crumbled Feta or use it as a sauce for a grilled fish like halibut. 

3 cloves fresh Garlic 
1 large Yellow Onion 
1 Green Pepper  
1 Red Pepper  
1 Orange Pepper 
1 Package of Mushrooms
 2 Zucchinis
1 Eggplant
 1 can of Tomato Paste with herbs and spices
1 can of Diced Tomatoes with herbs and spices
  1/2 tsp dry Basil
1 tsp Oregano
  2 Tbsp Balsamic Oil
 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar  Salt & Pepper 
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil  

1. Cut Yellow Onion, Peppers, Mushrooms, Zucchinis into large chunky pieces. Peel the Eggplant with a potato peeler and cut it into large chunky pieces.  

2. In a large soup pot, cover the bottom of the pot with the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and add the onions and the peppers and simmer with the lid on until the onions become transparent. Mince the garlic cloves and add to the pot.  

3. Add the Mushrooms to the pot and sauté all of the vegetables on medium heat for 7-8 minutes with the lid on.  

4. Add the Eggplant and Zucchini to the pot and sauté for 10 minutes.

 5. Add the diced tomatoes and the tomato paste to the pot and let simmer for 30 minutes. While the pot is simmering, add brown sugar, balsamic oil, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning according to taste.  

Assuming you have Garlic, Oregano, Basil, Balsamic oil, Brown Sugar, Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper in the house - you probably do if you are reading this blog since they are the basics - then the rest of the meal should cost you under $15.

Enjoy!
   Chef Cara

Deep Purple Smoothie

2008-11-08T16:23:00.003-05:00

I've been making this smoothie for a couple of months. It's a quick, healthy snack made with ingredients that can stay in your fridge for a while...It's also the "recessionista" version of the $5 I used to blow at Jamba Juice...impressive, right?

All you need is a blender. Blend these ingredients together:

1/2 cup mixed frozen berries
1/2 cup orange juice (as you can imagine, I will recommend the orange juice of champions: Minute Maid or Simply Orange)
lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
1 Splenda or 1 tsp of sugar
2 ice cubes
1/4 cup plain fat free yogurt (today I used Fage greek yogurt cause I like their magazine ads!)

You can throw in some flax seed, change the fruit used...ENJOY!

Tofu Red Curry

2008-10-25T16:24:00.005-04:00

There is no worse feeling that trying a recipe for the first time to find out it stinks! Wasted time, excitement, effort and ingredients! Everytime I find a recipe on cooksillustrated.com, I know it will be a hit! This one was no different- recipe calls for flank steak (3/4 lb), but I had tofu so I used that! Would work with chicken, steak or shrimp too!

Thanks to Talia for reminding me about the red curry in my fridge!

Red Curry Stir Fry

Serves 2

This meal was so flavorful! Another hit from cooksillustrated.com.

They called for flank steak, but I had tofu in the fridge. You can buy coconut milk and red curry paste in the Asian aisle of your grocery store- no special trip necessary!

1.5 tsp canola oil

1 package of firm tofu (or use flank steak, chicken, whatever!)

2 tsp red curry paste (use a bit less if you don't like the kick!)

3/4 cup light coconut milk (or regular coconut milk if you want a thicker sauce)

1 Tbsp fish sauce

2 tsp light brown sugar

1 small red pepper

1/4 lb snow peas

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

3 tsp fresh lime juice

Remove tofu from package and wrap in paper towels, put some weight on top of the tofu and leave there for 15-20 minutes to drain water out of tofu so it absorbs the curry better....

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add curry paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in coconut milk, fish sauce, and brown sugar and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Add tofu and cook until pieces separate and turn firm, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and peas and cook until peas are crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and lime juice. Season with salt to taste. Served with brown rice or a flat noodle.

tangy edamame

2008-10-18T13:23:00.008-04:00

I found a recipe to lemon edamame on a blog I really like called 101 cookbooks.

It's not Braude's Bites, the woman is out of San Francisco and has a zillion readers and is actually a photographer (needless to say her food looks more appealing than mine on the canon elph). She is always in the epicurean magazines.

I've made it twice already and Lee & I both love it. The salmon next to it was phenomenal as well...I will blog it next time, it's from Nigella Express, the cookbook I bought last week and had Nigella sign.

It is so easy and quick to make, you can make it last minute and the ingredients don't go bad in the fridge, this edamame is made with stuff you already have in your fridge. It tastes better the day after you make it and is a great protein filled snack for work.

Funny enough, this week, Harley Pasternak, a Canadian nutritionist & trainer who trains celebs in LA, was our guest speaker at a Coca-Cola women's conference. He was a great speaker and has a very sensible approach to eating well and exercising.

He did a cooking demo of healthy recipes like apple smoothies & whole wheat pizza & oatmeal frtittata that you can make quickly with 5 or less ingredients. This recipe is fabulous and is the same deal as the recipes he made: it is quick, uses easy ingredients and is super healthy. I edited a bit, she calls for shiso leaf that's only in asian grocery stores- who has time for that mid week?

Edamame with Lemon Vinaigrette
Serves 4
adapted from 101cookbooks.com

3 cups shelled edamame (about 12 ounces)
2 Meyer lemons or regular lemons
2 tablespoons fruity extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup (i left it out this time cause i can't find it and it tasted the same!)
Kosher salt & pepper

Buy a bag of frozen shelled edamame in the freezer section. Cook the edamame according to the package's instructions. Drain, place in a serving bowl, and let cool to room temperature.
Zest one lemon and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the lemon (about 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon). In a blender, add the lemon juice and zest, the olive oil, vinegar, and maple syrup. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Blend well and gently mix the dressing with the edamame.

If you want, zest the other lemon and sprinkle the zest on top.
Enjoy! I gotta go, Barefoot Contessa is premiering now! Woohoo!

My first brisket

2008-10-11T18:34:00.005-04:00

So I finally did it! I made my first roast! Something about it scared the hell out of me so I kept making a safe choice to make my meatballs. I chose a Barefoot recipe to conquer my fear because you can't go wrong.

Served it the night before Yom Kippur and it seemed to be received well (they could have been lying). The taste was great, but next time, I am going to cook lower and slower. I found that it didn't fall off the fork, so I am going to keep trying to perfect it! Today, I met Nigella Lawson at a New York Times Talk and asked her for her advice- she agreed with some dude on chowhound.com, lower and slower....300... So I will adapt the recipe below to reflect the advice I got!

Ina's Brisket with carrots & onions

Serves 10-12 people

*Note: I adapted for 8 people with a 5 lb brisket and reduced ingredients accordingly..

6 to 7 pounds beef brisket

1 tablespoon kosher salt (less than she recommends cause everyone said too salty in the reviews)

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic (4 cloves)

2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

8 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch chunks

6 yellow onions, peeled and sliced

6 fresh or dried bay leaves

1 (46-ounce) can tomato juice (I used low sodium V8)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (I am changing- 350 is too high!)

Place the brisket in a heavy roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano. Rub the mixture on the brisket. Pile the carrots, celery, onions, and bay leaves on the brisket and pour in enough tomato juice to come about 3/4 of the way up the meat and vegetables. Cover the top of the pan with 2 sheets of parchment paper, then with aluminum foil. (The tomato juice will react unpleasantly with the aluminum foil if they touch.)

Bake for 3 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Remove the meat from the pan and keep it warm.

Place the pan on 2 burners and boil the vegetables and sauce over medium heat for another 30 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened.

When it was done, I refrigerated over night and then sliced against the grain and froze....Reheat at 300 for an hour.

I am no longer scared to make brisket! If anyone has any ideas, send them my way.

Mom's Peanut Butter Mousse Cake

2008-10-03T21:16:00.006-04:00

This past week we were in Montreal for the holidays. My mom made a beautiful Asian themed dinner for our family friends for Rosh Hashanah! I wonder if Chinese folks make gefilte fish on their new year? Anyway, I digress..

She finished off the dinner with a FIRST TIME dessert that warranted applause.

It looked spectacular and was so amazing it made you second guess Rockaberry's!

Heaven: peanut butter mousse, graham crumble, chocolate topping with peanuts....

Generally, family rule is not to try a virgin dessert for company! She did and it ROCKED the house! She inspired me to make the Barefoot Contessa's brisket for Yom Kippur in NYC this week. I have never made brisket before and am hoping I can pull it off for company! Truth is my mom's meatballs are amazing, but I have become too dependent on them for Jewish holidays, I have to branch out and expand my beef horizons.

It came from a book called "Gatherings: Creative Kosher Cooking From Our Family to Yours" that she bought in the Maimonides gift shop where she volunteers.

For those that love to bake, trust me: do it.

Peanut Butter Mousse Cake

Serves: 16

Prep Time, 20 minutes plus

Freezes Well

Crust

2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs

1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp margarine, melted

Mousse

1 3/4 cups pareve whipping cream

2 cups creamy peanut butter

2 (8 oz) tubs tofutti cream cheese, softened

2 cups icing (confectioner's) sugar

2 Tbsp vanilla

Topping

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup parve whipping cream

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanuts, chopped, to garnish

Preheat oven to 350.

Crust: in a large bowl, combine all crust ingredients. Press into a 10 inch springform pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool. Set aside.

Mousse: Using an electric or hand held mixer, beat whipping cream until stiff. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, beat together peanut butter and tofutti cream cheese until smooth. Stir in icing (confectioner's) sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Gently fold in beaten whipping cream, a quarter at a time. Pour into baked crust. Refrigerate until set, approx 2 hrs.

Topping: In a medium sized sauce pan, combine sugar and whipping cream, Stir over medium hear until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove cake from fridge and spread topping evenly over filling. Garnish with peanuts.

Refrigerate until cold. Serve chilled. Watch guests as they ooh and awww!

Chickpea Salad with Ginger

2008-09-06T20:42:00.008-04:00

The New York Times published this recipe in their "recipes for health" section in early September. It has a simple ingredient list, an easy cook process, it's quick and it stays in the fridge as a great snack.

Chickpea Salad with Ginger
4 Servings

1Tbsp ground cumin or cumin seeds
3 cups canned chickpeas (I used low sodium), rinsed and drained
2 red, orange or yellow peppers (cored, seeded and diced)
1 red onion, diced
1 inch pc ginger, peeled & minced (I got a trusty tube of ginger I have been using!)
1 Tbsp sugar, optional
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
s&p to taste
chopped fresh cilantro
*1 Tbsp of Olive oil to moisten it up a bit (A Sherri addition to moisten it up and make it more "restaurant" tasting

Toss all ingredients together except cilantro and refrigerate.
Taste and add salt, pepper and lemon juice if needed. Add cilantro when ready to serve.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Loaf A-peel

2008-08-01T00:07:00.019-04:00

Canada’s official July 1rst moving day has come and gone, with the cardboard boxes, duct tape and the moving trucks finally in the clear, my apartment building has officially gotten that much cooler with the arrival of my new neighbors Eric Choueke and Naomi Rabinovitch.

Having been in the big apple the weekend that Eric and Naomi moved in, we bumped into each other only a few days later on the street. No standard small talk here, Eric told me straight up that he was already disappointed in me as his neighbor – he said that he expected more from me (picture me in shock) then he went on to list numerous varieties of baked goods that he was expecting to have received as a welcoming gift and that I clearly had not delivered. (now picture me laughing – The chutzpah! Although the little ballubusta in me wanted to plutz)

I told Eric not to worry and promised him that I would deliver, this dessert became top priority and knew right away that my Signature Chocolate Chip Banana Bread would be just the thing to mend this neighborship.

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Salt
½ cup Unsalted Butter (at room temperature)
¾ cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs Beaten
3-4 over ripe Bananas
½ -1 cup Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350

2. In large bowl combine Flour, Baking Soda.

3. In another bowl cream together the Butter, Sugar and Eggs. Stir in the mashed bananas to the Butter/Sugar/Egg mixture.

4. Combine both mixtures together and add the chocolate chips.

5. Pour the batter into two greased loaf pans and bake for 60-65 minutes. Stick toothpick in center until clean to see if the loafs are ready. Once the loafs are out of the oven, leave them to cool on the counter for 10 minutes.

The great thing about the recipe is that it makes two loafs – one can be kept in the freezer for any unexpected company. Since the gifting of the Chocolate Banana Bread, the Chouekes have given me a second chance at allowing me to be the best neighbor that I can be and they even invited my roommate and I over for a BBQ this past week. Turns out that I’m not the only ballubusta in the building, Naomi makes a mean guacamole and Eric is working on his BBQ skills (he was a bit distraught that he lost three out of six salami slices in the BBQ).

A Midsummer's Night Dream

2008-07-28T21:08:00.004-04:00

This week has been all about new things. I taught my friend, Jay, how to cook for his new wife, Jennie, via email and cell phone. He went from Kraft Dinner (EW) and eggs to espresso and chili rubbed steaks and roasted asparagus in a few emails. This from someone who once said that my blog was useless! His calls were all day entertainment.

Q: "How do I buy asparagus"
A: "Umm, walk up to the asparagus sign, choose asparagus and pay for them"

Q: "Can I get ebola from the filet mignon?"
A: No, that's e. Coli

Q: "What do I do with the garlic?"
A: Open up the head, take out some cloves and peel them (I will show him how to smash like on Food TV at a later time!)

At the end, he e-mailed me telling me it was a total success and he was so proud. So proud that he is cooking again tonight!

Next, I got on a bike for the first time in years and ended up biking for 3 hours all over the West Side Highway with my friend, Todd.

Then, I decided to order gazpacho at 'WichCraft and loved it. Until last week, gazpacho was of no interest to me. I came right home & found Ina's recipe for her bestselling gazpacho from her days at Barefoot Contessa in East Hampton...I made it yesterday for the first time and it was chunky with a bit of a kick. It's perfect to take for lunch with a sandwich during the summer and looks beautiful for entertaining as well (bonus- you can make it day before and it looks great in martini and shot glasses).

Ina Garten's Gazpacho- The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
Serves 4 to 5

1 english (also called hothouse) cucumber, halved & seeded, but not peeled
2 red peppers, cored and seeded
4 plum tomatoes
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups tomato juice (the Contessa highly recommends Sacramento brand, I used Campbell's)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/2 tbsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
few drops of Tabasco (I added!)

Roughly chop cucs, peppers, tomatoes and red onions into 1 inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it's coarsely chopped. Don't overprocess- it shouldn't be pureed.

After you process each vegetable, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, juice, vinegar, olive oil, s&p, Mix well and chill before serving. The longer it sits, the better it is. I also added 4-5 drops of Tabasco.

Salsify- a rare find!

2008-07-20T17:15:00.006-04:00

A couple of months ago, I was ordering dinner at CraftBar & asked the waiter what roasted salsify was. It came with grilled scallops and I immediately thought it may be a chutney or salsa. That night, I discovered salsify for the first time.

Salsify is a root vegetable that is uncommon in the United States, but apparently very popular in Europe. As soon as I got home, I did some research and got on chowhound to see where I could get the stuff. Someone told me I could get it at the Union Square Farmers' Market, but I never really looked that hard. Turns out you can find it at the Paffenroth Gardens stand at the Greenmarket. I have had the dish at CraftBar a few times since and it turns out their chef is on a mission to get this vegetable out of obscurity.

Anyway, yesterday after a brutal workout (I have been on vacation for 2 weeks, which meant my running shoes were in my suitcase, but they didn't get used! Next time, I may pack a bit lighter!), I met Geneve at Chelsea Market. Considering we both love food so much, we found it quite surprising that we both don't spend more time there...After brunching at 202 and sampling some mint chip gelato and fatwich brownies, we stopped by the Lobster Place & The Fruit Exchange. Emeril is always in these places on his show (Food Network tapes upstairs), not that I am a fan.

We were looking around with amazement- such amazing variety (star fruit, rare chilis, all varieties of eggplants) and great prices when BANG! SALSIFY!! I introduced Geneve to salsify and she took out her trusty Canon Elph to take a pic for my blog....

Tonight, I roasted it with my favorite swordfish recipe (roasted with lime juice, olive oil, s&p at 425 and then take it out of oven and refresh with a bit of the same) and it was delicious.

Roasted Salsify

1. Wash & Peel & cut salsify (4 large stalks is perfect for 2!)

2. Place on baking sheet with olive oil, kosher salt & pepper at 350 degrees for an hour.

When it came out, I sprinkled some za'atar on it. Za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice that I picked up in Israel...it's delicious, they eat it on pita.

You could easily include carrots, beets and/or parsnips as well!

Thank you Manhattan Fruit Exchange.

I heArt-ichoke

2008-07-10T13:57:00.012-04:00

In prepping my lunch in the cafeteria I often get a few “ohhh’s” and “ahhh’s” from my co-workers admiring my special of the day. In an effort to be healthy, I find its important to re-invent the wheel so that when 12’oclock strikes that you’re excited about your dejeuner.

As an alternative to the salad bar, I’ve added a steamed artichoke to my repertoire of lunches. The nutritional information is in: one large artichoke is fat free, contains only 25 calories, 170 milligrams of potassium, and is a good source of vitamin C, folate, magnesium and dietary fiber. In keeping the artichoke healthy, it’s important that the accompanied dipping sauce is as well.

Its not the traditional lunch and according to my co-workers it seems very high maintenance – I’m here to prove them wrong! Given that it’s not as easy as a microwaveable frozen lean cuisine, both the preparation of the artichoke and the dipping sauce are fairly simple.

Ingredients:

1 Large Artichoke
1 Lemon

When buying your artichoke from the grocery store the tighter and more compact the artichoke, the fresher it is. Prep Time: Fill up a sauce pan with water and half a lemon and let the water come to a boil. Trim the stem of the artichoke and add it whole to the boiling water with the lid on, leave it in the water for 40 minutes. Once the 40 minutes have passed, discard the water and you artichoke is ready.For the finishing touch – the low fat Ginger Dipping sauce only requires three ingredients to be combined!

Ingredients For Sauce:

1. 5 tbsp Low Fat Mayonaise

1 tsp of Fresh Ginger or 1 Cube of Frozen Ginger
1-2 tsp of Tamari Sauce (similar to Soya Sauce)

Artichokes are intimidating and for those of you who haven’t yet encountered an artichoke, how one eats an artichoke is not obvious from its appearance so here is a helpful diagram (instructions & pictures courtesy of http://www.elise.com/):

1. Pull off outer petals, one at a time, starting from the base. Dip white fleshy end in the sauce.

2. Tightly grip the other end of the petal. Place in mouth, dip side down, and pull through teeth to remove soft, pulpy, delicious portion of the petal. Discard remaining petal.

3. Continue until all of the petals are removed.

4. With a knife or spoon, scrape out and discard the inedible fuzzy and prickly parts (called the "choke") covering the artichoke heart. The remaining bottom of the artichoke is the heart. Cut into pieces and dip into sauce to eat.

Sherri and Lee are traveling to Israel and Greece this week, which coincides very well with this post since artichokes are very popular dishes in both of these countries! Looking forward to SB’s next blog, hopefully it will be on her new international culinary discoveries….

Cara

Bodacious Bulgur

2008-06-29T17:58:00.009-04:00

Happy St-Jean Baptiste, Happy Canada Day, Happy 4th of July – no matter what holiday you’re celebrating you’re probably enjoying your celebratory days off. With the summer heat FINALLY upon us, enjoying family and friends company is at the forefront which usually means that people are starting to light up there BBQ’s and grill just about anything in site.

Having recently been invited to a Non-BBQ BBQ (half way through prep my friend realized that her BBQ was still hibernating in her shed), I offered to bring a healthy and low fat side dish to accompany her culinary creations. A new bulgur salad that I recently discovered online at Fresh Direct was my choice. Midway through my recipe I threw in my apron and gave it a bit of a free styling twist – it was a dangerous attempt, but the final result was a success!

At first glance, other BBQ attendees thought this was a cous cous concoction – not so much. That’s like mistaking a piece of White Bread for a piece of whole wheat bread with multi-grains.

So, What is Bulgur? Bulgur is what's left after wheat kernels have been steamed, dried, and crushed. This cereal grain has been a food staple for years because it offers an inexpensive source of low-fat protein, making it a wonderfully nutritious addition to your low-calorie meal plan.

High in fiber and protein, and low in fat and calories, bulgur is another food that offers bulk and nutrients to fill you up without adding pounds. One thing to keep in mind, a cup of bulgur has fewer calories, less fat, and more than twice the fiber of brown rice. (quoted from http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/natural-weight-loss-food-bulgur-ga.htm)

This recipe produces an unusual but exquisite salad! Its easy to make, tastes amazing and is a great dish to introduce your friends and family to a healthier cous cous alternative.

Ingredients

3/4 cup Light Bulgur – Medium Grind #2

1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch of Pepper
1-2 tsp of Cumin
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp of fresh chopped mint
½ cup green seedless grapes cut in half
½ cup Pistachio Nuts
½ cup Cranraisins
½ cup Golden Raisins
½ cup Chopped Dried Apricot
3 green Onions/ Shallots

Directions

1. Combine the bulgur and salt in a heatproof salad bowl and pour in the boiling water. Cover tightly and let sit for 30 minutes. The bulgur is similar to cous cous as it requires minimal cooking and it will increase in volume by two times or more. After 30 minutes, drain remaining water and fluff it with a fork.

2. Stir in the cumin and the olive oil. Stir well to make sure that cumin and oil are distributed evenly.

3.Put dried apricots, golden raisins and cranraisins in microwavable bowel and add enough water to cover the bowel. Cover the bowel with saran wrap and microwave the dried fruit for 1-2 minutes in order to soften the dried fruit with the steam. Remove from microwave and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes, drain any remaining water.

4. Add the grapes, pistachio nuts and shallots to the bulgur. Add the dried apricot, raisins and cranraisins once they are not too wert.

5. Adjust the seasoning with pepper and cumin, if necessary. This salad can be served cold, hot or at room temperature.

Yieds: 4-5 side dishes.

Enjoy,
Cara Braude

Bubby Estabel's Gefilte Fish

2008-04-25T20:05:00.005-04:00

Over the past week, after having many conversations, I was shocked to learn that most people don't make their own homemade gefilte fish. They eat the gross, jelly balls from the jar! It is those exact jelly balls that were used to haze my poor friend, Karina, at boarding school many years ago. So when she heard I was making gefilte fish for Passover Seder, she not only knew what it was, but also seemed scared for her life. Twenty years ago in high school, the freshmen had to get gefilte fish jelly poured all over them and then, they couldn't shower until the end of the day. Needless to say, her memories were vivid! I promised I would redeem the gefilte fish for her.

My Bubby Estabel, who was an amazing cook, passed away last March, but she always made her gefilte fish loaf for all the holidays. As I was preparing for the first Seder I ever made, I added gefilte fish to the menu last minute! I was in the mood for a new recipe and knew my bubby would want to have her presence known at our table for our first Seder. I pulled the recipe from a recipe book that my sister made me for my wedding shower, Bubby Estabel had given her the gefilte fish recipe. In hind sight, I realize she was wise enough to know she wouldn't live forever and that I would need her special recipe when she wasn't a phone call away anymore.

So, I called my mom to check on all the ingredients. She told me Bubby's first rule was no other fish is acceptable except minced white fish. It can't be pike or any other fish and it must be minced. I make a few calls and I live in the Jewish mecca of the world- there are no fishmongers in NYC that have white fish and have a mincer....I tried them all! Wild Edible, Fairway, Citarella, FreshDirect, fish store at Chelsea Market, you name it! Next year, per Mara's suggestion, I will try the Lower East Side. Anyway, finally I found a Balducci's in Scarscale, NY, fifteen minutes from my office. Mission complete! I got my minced white fish.

I realized when I got home that gefilte fish is so easy to make! I don't know why more people don't do it! My diverse crowd was asking for seconds and I know my bubby was proud.

We also enjoyed matzo ball soup and Linda Tischler's almond macaroons (last year's Passover discovery). I tried adding 2 tbsp of lemon zest and they were even better! A Brazilian dude at work was chasing me all day asking for more!

Bubby Estabel's Gefilte Fish
Serves 10-12 people

1 loaf pan, greased
1 1/2 lbs minced white fish (again, only "white fish" and must be minced!)
2 eggs
1 cup cold water
3 medium diced sauteed onions (in 1/4 cup oil)
3 Tbsp matzo meal
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper

Beat on mix master for 10 minutes on medium with the paddle attachment. Place in pyrex and bake for 1.5 hrs (take it out when the top is fully browned, for me and my mom, it takes 1 hr and 40 minutes, but apparently my aunt burned it at 1 hr 55- so watch it!).

Cool on counter for an hour. Turn out onto paper towel and cool on paper towel.

Wrap in paper towel, then aluminum foil and refrigerate. The paper towel absorbs the moisture. It can be made 2 days in advance.

Slice and serve with horseradish on side.

Note: If you double the recipe, you need to do it separately.

Grilled Tuna with Basil Pesto

2008-04-06T20:33:00.002-04:00

In my last post, I alluded to the grilled tuna with basil pesto that I enjoy everytime I'm at my new stomping ground, Bar Stuzzichini. Tonight as I was thinking about what I was going to make for dinner, a thought came to mind. Why not use the basil I bought for my couscous (Ellie Krieger recipe from her new cookbook, will keep you posted on results) to try to replicate my Stuzzichini tuna? Not a bad idea considering the fact that everytime I buy basil, I always let it go bad. Those who know me know that my meals are rarely invented...I follow recipes to the tee and leave little room for creativity.

Good news- job well done by me! The result was a delicious, healthy grilled tuna with a phenomenal basil pesto...It was quick, easy and perfect for a weeknight. Bonus- my apartment doesn't reek since tuna only needs to be grilled for 90 seconds on each side! I froze the extra pesto in an ice cube tray so I could thaw it and make this meal even easier next time.

Let me know how it goes for you!

Sherri's Grilled Tuna with Basil Pesto
Serves 2

8 oz wild yellowfin tuna

kosher salt & ground pepper

1 cup of basil

1 garlic clove

1/8 cup of pine nuts

1/2 cup of olive oil plus a tsp for brushing the steaks

Equipment: food processor and grill pan or BBQ

Combine basil, garlic and pine nuts in a processor. While machine is running, slowly add in 1/2 cup of olive oil. Add kosher salt and pepper to taste.

Brush tuna steak with very little olive oil, place on grill pan for 90 seconds on each side.

To serve, drizzle basil pesto on the tuna.

Bon Appetit!

Mario Batali's Orange Olive Oil Cake

2008-03-16T10:38:00.003-04:00

In recent months, we have become obsessed with a new neighborhood restaurant called Bar Stuzzichini, an Italian tapas bar with unreal appetizers in the Flatiron district of New York City. We took our authentically Italian friend, Donata, there and she was immediately smitten! We always start our dinner with the "Stuzzichini Misti", which is a choice of 5 appetizers for 2 people for a well-priced $24! Highly recommend the ceci (chickpea) and/or caponata crostini, polpo (grilled octopus), the carciofi (heavenly fried artichokes) and the polpette (meatballs). Everytime I go, I order the grilled tuna with a cool pesto. Many of the people I have taken there love the orecchiette e cavolfiore (little ears with cauliflower and breadcrumbs).

I recently started finishing off my meal with the orange scented olive oil cake and decided to try to replicate at home with Mario Batali's recipe from a cookbook Donata bought me for Christmas a few years ago!

We brought it over to our friends' delicious dinner party last night and it was a very good cake especially when served with vanilla ice cream. It's great for a brunch party or a dessert. Perhaps I am my own worst critic, but I would have preferred it to be more moist and spongy. Please feel free to make suggestions on how I can moisten it up. I saw that Giada has a version with whole milk, more citrus juice and normal, all-purpose flour- I will try that next.

Olive Oil & Orange Cake
Mario Batali's "Simple Italian Food, Recipes from My Two Villages"
Serves 8

6 medium oranges
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 Tbsp baking soda
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
confectioners'/icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350. Oil a 9 inch round cake pan.

Remove the zest from the oranges and juice one of them. Set fruit aside for another use. Sift the flour and baking soda together onto a piece of waxed paper.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and salt together with an electric mixer until frothy and light, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the sugar, continuing to mix 2 minutes longer. Add the flour and baking sida gradually to the egg mixture, then mix 1 more minute.

In another bowl, combine the olive oil, orange zest and juice. Using a spoon, stir it into the egg mixture, folding until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Invert onto wire rack.

Cool to room temperature, dust confectioners'/icing sugar onto cake, cut into wedges and serve with vanilla bean ice cream.

A Tribute to our Bubby Lucy and her Legendary Cookies

2008-02-24T23:59:00.011-05:00

Sherri and I both agreed that it was time that Braude’s Bites was a representation of both the Braude Sister’s culinary skills (even if one of us now goes by the married name Sparaga) . I couldn’t be more honored to have my first post be a tribute to our Bubby Lucy who passed away this month at the age of 93. Our Bubby was known for her love of traveling, her sewing and mending skills, her sense of style, her beauty, her sweet tooth and best known worldwide by her famous White Meringue Chocolate Chip cookies that we referred to as “Bubby Lucy’s Cookies”.

Although these cookies have been a staple in our household for years, it was only a few weeks ago that I made my first batch. This recipe only has four ingredients and takes very little preparation time, but I caution all bakers that this particular cookie recipe needs to be followed exactly in order to achieve the right coloring and shape.

Bubby Lucy’s Cookies
Yields approximatley 22 cookies

2 Egg Whites

½ cup of Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

1 cup of Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat the oven for 260 F.

2. Separate Egg Whites and leave them out so that they attain room temperature. Using a mix master (small bowel), Beat the eggs on high.

3. As the egg whites become frothy you gradually add the sugar and then the vanilla. You beat it for approximately 5-7 minutes, until you obtain peaks. The batter is ready when the peaks hold their form.

4. Fold the chocolate chips in by hand.

5. Using two cookie sheets, cover them both with parchment paper and drop cookies with a regular spoon.

6. Bake the cookies for 40 minutes at 265 F. Turn off the oven and leave the cookies in the oven for an hour, so that they become dry.

I highly recommend sampling a cookie as soon as they come out of the oven! These cookies have a great shelf life in the pantry, our mother always has these on hand for guest (that’s if our father doesn’t discover them before the guests arrive). It should also be noted that they are also low fat in comparison to other traditional cookies.

We’ll miss our bubby, but her legacy will live on with this recipe.

Cara

Photo taken on January 12th, 2008

Cauliflower & Curry

2008-02-09T15:06:00.000-05:00

Recently my mom bought me Norene's Healthy Kitchen, a cookbook written by Norene Gilletz, who is a culinary goddess amongst the Canadian crowd and now a subscriber to Braude's Bites! I was looking through it for new ideas on vegetables and ended up finding delicious recipes for both roasted broccoli and roasted cauliflower that I have made frequently over the past few months. I will never steam either of those vegetables again, they lose their flavor and are never beyond average. Both Norene's roasted veggie dishes are tasty, easy and healthy. Even better, they are company quality- not just for your everyday.

Curry Roasted Cauliflower
Norene's Healthy Kitchen
Yields 4-6 servings

1 large cauliflower
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into long, narrow strips (I always leave it out for some reason)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup fresh chives or scallions for garnish (I also leave it out)

Preheat the oven to 400. Wash the cauliflower well and cut into florets. Place in pan with red pepper strips, drizzle with olive oil, curry powder and salt. Spread on a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes until golden and crispy; halfway through, toss them to get them all! They taste really good when they are a bit blackened. Remove from oven and sprinkle with onions or chives.

It turns out cauliflower and curry are a delicious combo and the cauliflower has a really buttery taste. A few weeks after rediscoverin cauliflower, I was at Wichcraft, my favorite sandwich chain and they were not serving my spicy carrot soup with vanilla oil, so my friend, Corryn, convinced me to try the cauliflower soup. It was my first time having cauliflower soup. I enjoyed it so much, I made this recipe from Epicurious.com last night and really enjoyed it!

Quick curried cauliflower soup
Adapted from Bon Appétit January 2003
Makes 8 to 10 servings.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons curry powder
8 cups cauliflower florets (from 1 large head), chopped
10 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, diced into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/4 cups)
7 cups low-salt chicken broth
1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add sugar and curry powder; stir 1 minute. Add cauliflower and potatoes; stir 1 minute. Add broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 35 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and crushed red peppers. Let cool and puree soup with a hand blender.

Note: The original version was bland, by adding spices to taste you will get a great velvety soup with a bit of kick! It's very quick and makes your house smell delightful!

Enjoy!

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

2008-01-24T22:55:00.000-05:00

Every Wednesday, I anxiously await the few moments when I can read the New York Times' Wednesday Dining column. I really enjoy Mark Bittman's column and think he resonates with his readers, food lovers that don't necessarily have all day to make a dish from Gourmet magazine; he keeps it simple. This summer, he did a brilliant feature called "101 Simple Meals, ready in 10 minutes or less", I picked up a few tricks to get a healthy dinner on the table very quickly post work.

On January 9th, The Times printed the recipe for a Red Lentil Soup with Lemon by Melissa Clarke. Her article described how she tried the awe inspiring soup at a friend's and convinced me this soup was special enough to try right away. By Saturday, my hand blender was out of the closet! I doubled the recipe and have been enjoying it for weeks.

It is perfect: it's aesthetically pleasing, low maintenance, healthy, tasty and has a great texture and a nice zing of cumin & lemon.

Red Lentil Soup With Lemon
New York Times 1/9/08
Time: 45 minutes

3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of ground chili powder or cayenne, more to taste
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup red lentils
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
2. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
3. Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
4. Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.
5. Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.

Yield: 4 servings. I doubled it. It also freezes well.

My Chanukah Miracle

2007-12-16T17:24:00.000-05:00

Last week, we hosted a small Chanukah party for our family. We fried up the annual latkas, made my trustworthy meatballs and roasted cauliflower, one of my favorite new roasted veggies, especially with a bit of curry powder.

At the last minute, I decided to try rugelach, an experiment given that I had never done it before. I generally don't make it a habit to try new recipes on guests, but Tally Abecassis tried them before me and said they were delicious....PLUS they are an Ina Garten recipe, they never fail. Barefoot Contessa outdid herself again, she made these bakery quality rugelach on her "holidays" episode with brisket and chopped liver...been meaning to try her brisket as well. My mother in law and husband had 5 a piece.....

Equipment: baking sheets, parchment paper, rolling pin, KitchenAid

Rugelach
Barefoot Contessa Parties
Makes 48 Cookies

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2-pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 9 tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup apricot preserves, pureed in a food processor
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash

Cream the cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball. Cut the ball in quarters, wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
To make the filling, combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the raisins, and walnuts.

On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a 9-inch circle (rolling out dough is hell!). Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons apricot preserves and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the filling. Press the filling lightly into the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges—cutting the whole circle in quarters, then each quarter into thirds. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge. Place the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush each cookie with the egg wash. Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.

Enjoy! They are delicious.

Roasted Sweetness

2007-12-01T16:35:00.000-05:00

I have recently become addicted to roasted beets. I had never even tried a beet until I ordered a yellowtail and beet appetizer at Telepan on the Upper West Side. Since this summer, I have been making them almost weekly at home. When beets are roasted, they taste so sweet that you wouldn't believe they are good for you. You can pair them with candied walnuts and goat cheese to make a beautiful looking salad. Golden beets are yellow/orange are just as delicious. They're high in potassium, fiber and folacin, yet low in calories. Another benefit is that they keep in the fridge's crisper for a week or two before you roast them and stay in the fridge for a couple of days after you make them. They make a great and filling snack, so make extra!

Sherri's Roasted Beets (Serves 4)

5 Red or Golden Beets

olive oil

kosher salt

pepper

1 Orange

Preheat oven to 400. Cut off beet leafs, wash and peel beets. Cut them up into small 1 inch pieces, so they roast faster. Spread out on a baking sheet and mix with kosher salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast for 40 minutes, turning them around once half way through.

Place beets in a bowl, squeeze orange juice onto beets and place in fridge.

Serve cool or at room temperature.

Marinated Mushrooms

2007-11-11T20:05:00.000-05:00

After our trip from Spain, I decided to host a tapas party at Casa Sparaga. We loaded up the fridge with Sangria and put together a Spanish menu from "The New Spanish Table" and Cook's Illustrated. We enjoyed delicious patata bravas, tomato and red onion salad, sizzling garlic shrimp, meatballs, marinated mushrooms and even a cheese plate (no, I didn' do it! Corryn handled all cheese-related chores). For dessert, my signature molten cakes.

The mushrooms were very easy and tasted delicious. I made them the day before and pulled them out of the fridge an hr before guests arrived. They are also only 110 calories per serving.
On Sunday after the party, I had leftovers for breakfast with some baguette and tomato while reading Travel & Leisure. That's the life.

This week, I also capped off a work day at Boqueria on 19th Street between 5th and 6th for the first time. I enjoyed some great red wine, pan con tomate, blistered peppers and patata bravas. Highly recommend it.

Marinated Mushrooms (another hit from Cooksillustrated.com)

Skillet size limits the yield of this recipe; if you would like to double it, cook the mushrooms in two separate batches but marinate them together.

Thyme, parsley, or basil makes a good last-minute addition--use only one, however, not all three.

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , plus 1 tablespoon for finishing
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Table salt
1 pound cremini mushrooms or white button mushrooms, cleaned, left whole if small, halved if medium, quartered if large
2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon, plus 1 tablespoon for finishing
1 medium clove garlic , sliced very thin
1 large shallot , chopped fine (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 small red bell pepper , chopped fine (about 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or basil
Ground black pepper

1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add mushrooms and 2 tablespoons lemon juice; cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms release moisture, moisture evaporates, and mushrooms have browned around edges, about 10 minutes. Spread mushrooms in single layer on large plate or rimmed baking sheet; cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. When cooled, transfer mushrooms to medium bowl, leaving behind any juices. Stir garlic, shallot, and bell pepper into mushrooms, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 6 or up to 24 hours.

2. Before serving, allow mushrooms to stand at room temperature about 1 hour. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and thyme and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper just before serving.

Chicken Soup and Matzo Balls

2007-09-29T20:36:00.000-04:00

Once we got home from Spain, it was already holiday time and my parents and sister were coming to New York for Rosh Hashanah for the first time. Although I was busy getting back into the grind, I was determined to make my first chicken soup for Erev Rosh Hashanah. I e-mailed my mother to get the recipe and called home a few times to clarify the procedure. The recipe started with my bubby and was passed on and tweaked by my mother. My family thought mine tasted just as good!

Set aside a couple of hours on a Sunday, while you're doing something else. It takes 3 hours to make the soup. The soup is great to freeze and have on hand for days when you're feeling under the weather.

Bubby and Mom’s Chicken Soup

Serves 10

2 Parsley Root/ Parsnips (with green leaf)
1 bunch Fresh Dill
1 bunch Celery (just tops)
2 Leeks or 1 Whole Onion
3 cloves Garlic
8 Carrots
1 Bay leaf

Chicken

5 Legs
5 Backs (same as thighs)
4 Large Breasts
1/8 cup at a time Croyden House (the powder version of chicken stock)

1. Clean Chicken with hot water and put in a large pot. Cover chicken with water
and bring to a boil. Keep it covered. As grey stuff comes to top, skim the top of the soup
with slotted spoon (10-15 minutes).

2. Place Dill in Cheesecloth & tie up (I didn't use a cheese cloth or tie it up). Add Seasoning. Keep on simmer for 45 minutes to hour.

3. Add vegetables, bring to a boil again and then lower and simmer another
hour. Adjust seasoning. Skim the top of the soup. Put ½ dill in for the second time (15
minutes before the end), raise to medium, bring to a boil and simmer for another 15
minutes.

4. Cool for 1 1/2 hours without cover on another burner and strain. Remove fat after
frozen.

Matzo Balls (Streit’s)

Makes 12

4 eggs beaten

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup water

salt, pepper

1 cup matzah meal

Boil 1/2 hr in boiling water.

Beat eggs and add water, canola oil, salt and pepper. Mix well, add matzo meal, stir thoroughly. Refrigerate overnight. Form into balls (10-11 per recipe) and drop them into boiling, bubbling salt water. If the balls stick to your fingers, wash and dry your hands. Cover and keep on medium, watch pot and lower to medium low (30 minutes total). Freeze on baking sheet with parchment uncovered. Place in freezer bags.

Enjoy!

Pan Con Aceite De'Olivo

2007-09-15T17:26:00.000-04:00

Lee and Sherri in Palma De Mallorca
A Cliff between Deia and Soller
Above: Lee and Sherri in Gaudi's Parc Guell, Barcelona
Below: Vegetables at La Boqueria market, Barcelona

Sherri and Lee at Hotel La Residencia, Deia

One of many cappucinos

The Pool at La Residencia, Deia
Patata Bravas at El Xelini Barrigon, Deia
Hotel La Residencia Front Lawn
Paella at Las Palmeras, Deia

We just got back from Barcelona and Deia, a village 30 minutes outside of Palma De Mallorca. After a year of reading Travel and Leisure, Food and Wine and Frommer's in preparation for our big trip, it finally came and went.

Why does everything taste better in Spain? The tomatoes tasted nothing like the ones in New York- they were sweet and juicy. The olive oils (or "aceite d'olivo") with fresh bread at the beginning of each meal got me so full, I was ready for dessert after my appetizer. The sangria was a perfect end to every lazy day. I always knew I liked tapas, but this was the real stuff. How am I going to live without daily patatas bravas?

We found many gems in Spain, so here is a guide of where to find them:

Deia- a village 30 minutes outside of Palma De Mallorca in the hills

Eat at El Xelini Barrigon: Xelini is the village tapas restaurant housed in one of many stone buildings. The locals and tourists flock here alike. After reading about Xelini in Elle, we went there on our second day for lunch. Through out our 6 days in Deia, we ate at Xelini 4 times. The patata bravas, chorizitos, tomato and onion salad, mushrooms and chocolate mousse were unreal. We also tried tumbet, a Mallorcan vegetable dish with a layer of potatoes, eggplant and tomato sauce. If you are in Mallorca and decide to drive up to Deia, this is a must stop. We ate at a few really expensive places in town and this well-priced tapas place tops them all.

Barcelona

1. Divina Pasta, 115 Bailen in Eixample- While walking on our Gaudi tour between Casa Mila and La Sagrada Familia, we came across Divina Pasta, there was a large crowd of locals laughing loudly. There was no English menu and not a tourist in sight. We sat down and ate homemade pasta. I had the best pasta dish I have ever eaten (I haven't been to Italy though)- "Papardelle con tomato natural, hierbas aromaticas y aceite suave de ajo". The place is well-priced and phenomenal. It's owned by Argentine Italians and a Uruguayan.

2. Taller de Tapas is a modern tapas place on Ramblas Catalunya. They have outside seating on the cobblestone walkway and serve great tapas. I had the creme catalan, their version of a creme brulee, and it was delicious! If you're staying on Las Ramblas, this place is really close without the Time Square tourists.

3. Cuines Santa Caterina is a modern restaurant in the Mercat Santa Caterina, which is famous for its coloured, tiled, rippled roof in the middle of El Born/La Rivera. The produce comes right from the market stalls 2 feet away. It is very close to the cathedral in the Barri Gotic and to The Picasso Museum in El Born. Lee had an incredible omelette.

4. La Boqueria- Our first morning in Barcelona, we walked over to La Boqueria and had a great capuccino at Bar Pinoxto. We roamed around all of the stalls of gorgeous produce, meat, chicken and lots of jamon! Fun place to sample a bit of everything.

I came to the realization after eating in numerous fancy restaurants like El Olivo and El Raco D'es Teix in Deia, Restaurant Gaig in Barcelona and Comerc 24, a restaurant that is famous for its molecular gastronomy (read: FOAM PARTY), that the local well-priced places are the best. Although all of these restaurants were good, I didn't think they were great.

When we got home from Spain, I made my new quick dinner:

Roasted jumbo shrimp with garlic and olive oil

Buy Jumbo Shrimp in the frozen section of Trader Joe's. Run water on the shrimp for 5 minutes to defrost them. Throw them in the oven with some minced garlic and olive oil for about 10 minutes at 350. When they come out of the oven, squirt lemon juice on top of the shrimp. If you want to make life really easy, roast asparagus with the same garlic and olive oil for 15 minutes on the same baking sheet. A healthy, one pan meal.

La Scarpetta on a Sunday

2007-06-28T21:33:00.000-04:00

Cathy at A Blithe Palate surprised me with an e-mail asking me to participate in a food blogging event about a new cookbook that she and Ivonne from Cream Puffs were organizing. Last week, Adventures of An Italian Food Lover by Faith Hillinger, arrived by snail mail. Adventures of An Italian Food Lover is a recipe in itself: 1/3 cookbook, 1/3 coffee table book and 1/3 a local tour guide's Italy. It's not only about the recipes, it's about relationships and experiences. Her sister, Suzanne, painted exquisite watercolor drawings and each recipe has a foreword about a person or place she is intimate with in Italy. If you have no intentions of being in Italy anytime soon, you can still enjoy it while drinking a few glasses of wine and pretending.

My plan was to choose a recipe and cook it with Geneve, the woman who is responsible for enlightening me with blogging back in April '06. We have been meaning to cook together (and watch Barefoot Contessa marathons) for months since she has arrived here from LA for the summer. Her summer has been very productive; she is a recent grad of the French Culinary Institute's Techniques class and just completed a stage at New York's #1 restaurant. Adventures of an Italian Food Lover is very us. We met seven years ago while both of us were on semester abroad. We bumped into eachother while walking along Tamarama Beach in Sydney and discovered we were both McGill students. A 24 hour flight to Sydney to find a friend at school in Montreal?

Last Sunday, we went to Whole Foods in Union Square and picked up the ingredients for Scquacquacio di Mare, a dish that Hillinger explains is from a wine bar in Venice called Mascareta. She vividly decribes the eclectic sommelier, Mauro Lorenzo, who owns the Inoteca.

Geneve taught me that when you make mussels, all of the mussels should be closed before being cooked. When they are cooked, they should all be open, any closed mussels should be discarded.

We enjoyed the simple and light Watery Seafood Mess and some vino blanco. There was something very European about dunking our baguettes into the zesty sauce of tomato, white wine vinegar and chili peppers. The Italians call it "La Scarpetta", I call it heaven.

Berries in Bronxville

2007-06-17T19:07:00.001-04:00

Chris, Karina, Lisa and I
Berry Crumble

Todd, Jorge, Adam, Steve, Josh and Lee

About two years ago, Lisa, a friend from my old job, and her husband, Steve, hosted a bunch of friends from work to a beautiful dinner party. She set a high standard for entertaining; great food and a beautiful table. Two years have past and many dinner parties later, the inevitable has happened. Chris and Josh sold out and moved to Pelham. Three months ago, Karina and Jorge off to Bronxville. Now, Lisa and Steve are moving to a suburb of Boston. The last 4 stand strong. Todd and Adam are safe for a little while longer.

Our diverse crew is headed to the burbs and even worse, they are trying to PUSH the burbs on anyone who will listen. Our friends, Karina and Jorge, have become real estate agents. "Why do you live in the city? If you lived in the burbs, Lee could be closer to golf, you could have a big kitchen and Lee could still lie on the couch all day!"A great pitch, but not so fast....Although, the stench from grilling in my apartment is getting old.

Last night, Karina and Jorge had a lovely party to say goodbye to Lisa & Steve. Karina made a beef tenderloin with olive oil and rosemary that was cooked to perfection. Along side, she served a fabulous spring mix salad with pine nuts and pears and Persian rice with cherries (mmm... for those Venezuelan Persian friends!).

Earlier yesterday, my 9-year old niece, Stacie, and I baked a berry crumble for dessert. I first made this over two years ago for a bridal shower to rave reviews and haven't made it in a long time. It's easy to make and is a perfect summer dessert with vanilla ice cream and/or some whipped cream! It looks so good in this picture thanks to Todd, who taught me that you don't take pictures of your food with a flash. Ooops.

Mixed Berry Creme Fraiche Crumble
FoodNetwork.com, Serves 8

4 cups mixed berries (I used 3 packages of blackberries, blueberries and raspberries)
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup creme fraiche*
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup melted butter

*If you can't find creme fraiche, you can substitute 1 cup of creme fraiche with 1/2 cup each of sour cream and whipping cream; or 1 cup whipping cream and 3 tablespoons buttermilk; cover and let stand 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 375. Mix together the berries, flour and sugar and pour into a 8 x 8 baking dish. Spread the creme fraiche over the top of the berries evenly. Mix together the brown sugar, flour and salt. Mix in the melted butter. Top the creme fraiche with this mixture. Bake for 35 minutes or until topping is golden brown (the recipe calls for 25 minutes, but it doesn't bake enough in 25 minutes...).

Bon Appetit!

Key Lime Bars sponsored by FedEx

2007-05-15T22:12:00.000-04:00

First of all, I apologize for my blogging frequency. The good news is I am too busy with my new gig to cook as often and to blog...maybe, I have more of a life now? Amy- try to resist. I also don't have time for pretty photos, but read the comments (READ: co-workers insert how much you liked my key lime bars) and you will see I am not messing around.

Anyway, Lee and I were in Florida last month for Grandma's 90th Bday. My aunt Beth and uncle Jack hosted a beautiful dinner at their house. Aunt Beth made beautiful floral arrangements, set a gorgeous table with tasty food and had a chocolate fountain (I got it to work!). She made a delicious key lime pie from Joe's Stone Crab. It was my first time enjoying key lime pie with real key limes. Within 24 hours, aunt Beth had stopped by Publix to pick up a bag of key limes that I could take back to New York. Somewhere between the front desk of the Marriott and my room, my limes faded into oblivion. Maybe someone wanted to make a pie, hope they didn't choke on it. Thieves! Make a long story short: a couple of days later, a FedEx arrived with a bag of key limes and a pack of Knorr's vegetable soup mix (I liked her dip recipe!). Aunt Beth was determined to get me my limes and when she is determined, stay out of her way, she will make it happen!

What was I to do with these key limes? I wanted to try something new and am very loyal to my own key lime pie recipe. A few weeks went by and I started getting scared that I was going to waste all the effort that had been invested in getting me my limes. At the prompting of Beatus and Bernstein, I was forced into action. Beatus told me she had had enough of my almond macaroons and Bernstein told me that he thought I was all talk. To the kitchen I went.

As mentioned in my last post, I just got a subscription to cooksillustrated.com and found this recipe online. So far, they are 2 for 2. Initially, I wasn't thrilled about paying $24.95 for an annual membership for something that should be free. However, if I look at ROI, this might not be such a bad idea considering I pay more than that for each cookbook and haven't opened many of them!

I tweaked the recipe by changing the crust from animal crackers to Keebler graham crackers.

The result was a tart bar with buttery sugary crust. Perfect for a summer treat and would look great on a plate with my lemon bars- a little lemon and lime!

Key Lime Bars

Cooks Illustrated July 2006, Makes 16 2-inch bars

If you aren't lucky enough to have aunt Beth send you Key limes, use regular (Persian) limes. Do not use bottled lime juice. Grate the zest from the limes before juicing them, avoiding the bitter white pith that lies just beneath the outermost skin. The optional coconut garnish adds textural interest and tames the lime flavor for those who find it too intense. I am not a coconut fan, so left it off. The recipe can be doubled and baked in a 13- by 9-inch baking pan (I will do this next time I bring these to work!); you will need a double layer of extra-wide foil for the pan (each sheet about 20 inches in length) and should increase the baking times by a minute or two.

Crust
5 ounces Keebler graham crackers (recipe calls for animal crackers)
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar (light or dark)
Pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly

Filling
2 ounces cream cheese , room temperature (YES, I ATE CHEESE!)
1 tablespoon grated lime zest , minced
Pinch table salt
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice , either Key lime or regular

Garnish (optional)
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut , toasted until golden and crisp

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Place foil in a 8 x 8 pan and let foil hang over the sides. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. TO MAKE THE CRUST: In workbowl of food processor, pulse graham crackers until broken down, about ten 1-second pulses; process crumbs until evenly fine, about 10 seconds (you should have about 1 1/4 cups crumbs). Add brown sugar and salt; process to combine, ten to twelve 1-second pulses (if large sugar lumps remain, break them apart with fingers). Drizzle butter over crumbs and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened with butter, about ten 1-second pulses. Press crumbs evenly and firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until deep golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling. Do not turn off oven.

3. TO MAKE THE FILLING: While crust cools, in medium bowl, stir cream cheese, zest, and salt with rubber spatula until softened, creamy, and thoroughly combined. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk vigorously until incorporated and no lumps of cream cheese remain; whisk in egg yolk. Add lime juice and whisk gently until incorporated (mixture will thicken slightly).

4. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Pour filling into crust; spread to corners and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Bake until set and edges begin to pull away slightly from sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cover with foil and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.5. Loosen edges with paring knife and lift bars from baking pan using foil extensions; cut bars into 16 squares. Sprinkle with toasted coconut, if using, and serve.

Leftovers can be refrigerated up to 2 days; crust will soften slightly. Let bars stand at room temperature about 15 minutes before serving.

Almond Macaroons

2007-04-08T11:12:00.000-04:00

A big thanks to Melissa at work for offering me one of her mother's almond macaroons. It was so good that I asked for the recipe on the spot. By day's end, there was a post-it waiting on my monitor with how to find the recipe. These macaroons are incredibly simple to make and taste great, hard on the outside with a surprisingly chewy center. They were a big hit at the dinner party we went to last night. Even though they are Kosher for Passover, they taste amazing. There is no matzo meal or quintessential Passover ingredients, it just so happens that you are allowed to eat all the ingredients on Passover. All that being said, make them anytime! They will be part of my Passovers and other holidays for years to come! Thanks Mrs. Tischler!

Almond Macaroons (Cook's Illustrated)

Makes 2 dozen cookies

Macaroons need to be baked on parchment paper. They stick to an ungreased sheet and spread on a greased one (mine spread and they tasted great!!).

3 cups blanched slivered almonds (12 oz), measured without packing or shaking the cup

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup large egg whites, plus 1 tablespoon (from about 3 eggs)

1 tsp almond extract

1. Set racks in upper-middle and lower-middle levels of oven and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Turn almonds into food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade and process for one minute. Add sugar and process 15 more seconds. Add whites and extract and process until the paste wads around the blade. Scrape sides and corners of workbowl with spatula; process until a stiff, but cohesive, malleable paste forms, about 5 seconds longer. If mixture is crumbly or dry, turn machine back on and add water by drops through the feeder tube until the right consistency is reached.

3. Allowing a scant 2 Tbsp of paste for each macaroon, form a dozen cookies on each paper-lined sheet, spacing cookies 1.5 inches apart. Roll into 1 inch balls with your palm.

4. Bake macaroons, switching cookie sheet positions midway through baking, until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. If overbaked, macaroons will dry out rather quickly when stored. Leave macaroons on papers until completely cooled or else they may tear. They can be stored in an airtight container for at least 4 days or frozen up to a month.

Enjoy!

Seared Tuna with Mango Salsa

2007-02-18T21:33:00.000-05:00

I have been out of the kitchen for a while, I seem to be spending more time in the elevator (going to meet the delivery man) than cooking. This weekend, I got back in the kitchen. I started by baking some low fat apple muffins yesterday. Today, we went to Whole Foods to get ingredients for a homemade dinner.

It is a rare day when the Barefoot Contessa decides to think healthy...her producers must be pushing her to "modernize" her butter-laden recipes. A while back, I saw her making this recipe from "Barefoot Contessa Parties" on her TV show and added it to the arsenal of recipes I wanted to try.

This recipe was very good, but it's not a weekday one! The salsa is mostly sweet with a great kick from the jalapeno. Although searing tuna is the quickest dinner on the planet, it took 40 minutes to make the mango salsa. So, make this one on your day off! It's worth the process, it's a "winner"! No side dish necessary...it's a meal on its own.

Seared Tuna with Mango Salsa (serves 2)
Barefoot Contessa Parties!

2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for searing
1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion (2 onions)
2 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 ripe mangos, peeled, seeded, and small diced
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeno pepper, to taste (1 pepper)
2 teaspoons minced fresh mint leaves
2 tuna steaks (6 oz each is good!)

Saute the olive oil, onions, and ginger in a large saute pan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the mangos, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes. Add the orange juice, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and jalapeno; cook for 10 more minutes, until orange juice is reduced, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and add the mint. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Heat a saute pan over high heat for 5 minutes until very hot. Season the tuna liberally with salt and pepper. When the pan is very hot, add a drizzle of olive oil and then the tuna steaks. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until the outside is browned, but the inside is very rare.
Serve the tuna on top of the mango salsa.

Mustard Roasted Red Potatoes

2007-01-27T01:26:00.000-05:00

I haven't blogged in so long that I am on the verge of being kicked off my own blog by my feisty younger sister. Earlier this week, Cara proposed that since Braude's Bites uses the family name we should co-author this blog. Since Cara has just moved out of my parents' house into her own grown up apartment, she has been cooking up a storm for her boyfriend, Jon, who rates her meals on a 10 pt scale every night. I am still debating the merits of having her invade my blog.
On the pro side, she is very creative and funny. On the con side, THIS IS MY BLOG & I am not in Montreal to test her creations. Thoughts??

I have entertained twice this week, so my lack of blogging is not due to my lack of cooking and baking. Last Saturday, we had guests over for a steakhouse themed dinner. We had tuna tartare avocado to start, medium rare spicy filets with a cool yogurt mint sauce, mustard roasted potatoes and roasted asparagus for the main course and a key lime pie, fruit salad and raspberry lime tart from Citarella for dessert. The red wine was flowing, the company was great and Gioia brought her heavenly and buttery biscotti that have called my name EVERY SINGLE NIGHT since last week.

I learned when I first started entertaining that you DO NOT try a recipe for the first time when you entertain. There is nothing like the fear of the unknown and the stress that accompanies it when your guests arrive. With that being said, I gave the mustard roasted potatoes in Ina's new cookbook, "Barefoot Contessa at Home", a try a few nights before and they passed the test! This was the first recipe I tried from her new cookbook and as usual, her recipes are consistently outstanding.

Tonight, we hosted an impromptu and casual traditional Friday night dinner. We started with a mesclun salad with candied almonds, avocado and apple dressed in Nai's easiest and best dressing (1/3 balsamic, 1/3 dijon mustard, 1/3 olive oil and some minced garlic). We moved on to Moroccan chicken, fattoush and Sara Moulton's lemon roasted red potatoes. For dessert, we almost finished last week's biscotti and Nai brought a luscious chocolate cake from Balducci's.

Mustard Roasted Potatoes
Barefoot Contessa @ Home
Serves 6

2 1/2 lbs small red potatoes
2 yellow onions
3 Tbsp good olive oil
2 Tbsp whole grain mustard
kosher salt and a teaspoon of ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf (or Italian) parsley
(I added garlic too)

Cut the potatoes in halfs or quarters depending on their size and place on a sheet pan. Slice the onions into half rounds and mix with the potatoes. Add oil, mustard and s&p. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour until potatoes are soft inside and crispy outside. Toss the potatoes while they are in the oven a few times. When they come out, toss with parsley and a sprinkle of more kosher salt. Note: If you double the recipe, it will take a lot longer....close to an hour and a half.

To serve, warm in the oven for 10 minutes and you won't be able to tell they were made ahead of time. They remind me of a classy hash brown.

After of all of this entertaining, I wonder why I am not tired...it's 2 am and I'm awake....Food TV? Perhaps Bobby Flay is having a throwdown?

Thai Tom Yum Soup

2007-01-07T15:33:00.000-05:00

Since I first made this soup, I had tom yum soup at my favorite Thai restaurant in the West Village, Galanga, and I went to the Institute of Culinary Education's "Essentials of Thai cuisine" to learn how to make tom yum soup. This version was much better tasting and better for you. This recipe is from Self magazine and was concocted by the chef from Tao in Las Vegas.

Disclaimer: this soup is not an easy meal, it takes a while to make. It's perfect for a Sunday dinner- bring the rest to work on Monday.
The reward is a zesty soup packed with lean protein that tastes different than every other night's dinner.

Thai Seafood Hot Pot
Self Magazine, November 2006

4 oz dried rice noodles

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 can (14 oz) diced tomato, with juice

1 cup light coconut milk

3 Tbsp rice vinegar

2 Tbsp fish sauce

Zest of 2 limes (1 Tbsp)

1-2 Thai red chiles, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp sugar

1 stalk lemongrass, minced (if you don't mince, you will taste hard pieces)

6 sprigs cilantro

2 sprigs basil

1/2 cup canned straw mushrooms

12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 large sea scallop, cut in half

1 cup frozen calamari rings, thawed

juice of 1 lime

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Stir in noodles; remove from heat. Let stand until noodles soften, 7 to 10 minutes; drain. Heat oil in a large pot over medium hear. Cook shallots, garlic and onion until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add stock, juice from tomatoes, coconut milk, vinegar, fish sauce, lime zest, chiles, sugar and lemongrass. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add cilantro and basil; reduce heat to medium low; simmer 10 minutes. Remove garlic, cilantro and basil from pot; add tomatoes and mushrooms. Return to a simmer. Add shrimp and scallops; cook for 2 minutes. Add calamari and lime juice. Season with s&p. Divide noodles among 4 bowls; top with broth and seafood. Garnish with basil and cilantro, if you'd like.

This Shrimp is Back in the Kitchen!

2006-12-29T20:11:00.000-05:00

The long anticipated (by me) Holiday edition is here...this shrimp is back in the kitchen. We started the week at our dear friends' house in Long Island for the annual Italian Christmas Eve to remember. The two beautiful little girls, Sarah, 4, and Julianna, 2, ate 12 pieces of shrimp cocktail each. Year after year, they inhale the shrimp and handle it like real women, I am impressed. We had courses and courses of unbelievable food. The broiled lobster tails were to die for & I am getting the recipe for Braude's Bites.

Yesterday, I leafed through my giant recipe binder in search of a new recipe to try. I've been out of the kitchen for weeks and needed a serious comeback from my hiatus. I found some recipes from our dinner at David Paul's Lahaina Grill in Maui. After our favorite dinner on our honeymoon in Hawaii, I asked the waiter if I could have the recipe for their ahi tuna. In New York, I wouldn't have even asked. In the true spirit of Hawaii, he came out with 6 recipes for all of their classic dishes, all typed up on letterhead for patrons! Truth is you have to adapt the recipes for your home kitchen, unless you're into spending hours in the kitchen making tequila butter to put in the tequila beurre blanc to pour on the tequila shrimp- who are we kidding?

Tequila Shrimp and Vanilla Bean Rice from David Paul's
Serves 4 people

Maui Tequila Shrimp

1 1/2 lbs deveined shrimp
1/2 oil (I used olive, they used corn oil)
1 1/2 tsp chili paste
1 1/2 tsp cilantro
1 1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp bown sugar
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 cup tequila
1/2 tsp worcestershire
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Peel and wash the shrimp.Combine all ingredients & marinate the shrimp in a container for at least 1 hour. Take the shrimp out of the marinade & place it in a single layer on a saute pan over medium heat until shrimp are cooked through. Do not overcook,once the shrimps are all pink, take them off.

This easy shrimp recipe boasts spicy flavor and is complimented with a vanilla bean rice. Use this for a weekday meal. It wouldn't be ideal for company cause it's tough not to overcook the shrimp if they sit for a bit and you can't shock them in ice water with their marinade. You could steam them for 30 seconds.

Vanilla Bean Rice

1 Tbsp shallots, finely chopped
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup Jasmine Rice
3 cups clam or fish broth
1 split vanilla bean

Vanilla beans are expensive, but they are worth it. Cook rice over medium heat with vanilla bean, shallots, butter and clam broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff. This recipe has some strengths in that the rice was a Thai sticky rice and tasted of vanilla, but I found the clam broth a bit overpowering. Any suggestions from fellow chefs?

On the 2nd day of Chanukah

2006-12-21T18:08:00.000-05:00

This year, my mom & dad were in for Chanukah and we hosted a small party here for Lee's mom's b-day and Chanukah. My mom outdid herself with her annual potato latkas and a classic cake from our childhood.
The kids and adults ran for seconds on the once a year delicacy!

Easy Potato Latkas
Norene Gilletz's "Pleasures of Your Processor"
(yields 2 dozen)

4 medium potatoes, pared (she recommended Yukon gold or yellow flesh)
1 onion
2 eggs
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
oil for frying

Cut potatoes in chunks and onion in half. Place in a processor (with a steel knife) with eggs and process until pureed- 20 to 30 seconds. Add remaining ingredients except oil and process a few seconds longer to blend into a smooth mixture. Pour oil to about 1/8" depth in a large skillet. When hot, drop in potato mixture by large spoonfuls to form pancakes. Brown well on both sides. Drain well on paper towels.

*These can be frozen. To reheat, place them on a ungreased foil lined cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake uncovered at 450 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes, until crisp & hot. Serve with apple sauce. These would make great party appetizers, you can make 5 dozen mini latkas and place a dollop of creme fraiche on top.

Every year at our birthday parties, we would have a vanilla cake with a creamy icing. I always preferred white cake to chocolate cake and always will. She updated the "Betty Crocker's Silver White cake" with Magnolia bakery icing...it was luscious. On our wedding day, my mom gave this recipe to the baker and our wedding cake tasted like my old bday cakes...YUM.

Betty Crocker's Silver White Cake

TIME: Bake layers 30 to 35 minutes, square or oblong 35 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

INSTRUCIONS FOR LARGE CAKE (TWO 9" LAYER CAKE PANS OR ONE 13" X 9" PAN)

Grease and generously flour pan.
Sift together:
2 7/8 cups sifted Softasilk Flour or 2 2/3 cups sifted Gold Medal flour
1 7/8 cups sifted sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Add:
2/3 cups soft shortening
1 1/4 cups milk
2 teaspoons flavoring
Beat 2 minutes.
Add 5 egg whites.
Beat 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pans. Bake until cake tests done. Cool. Finish with desired filling and frosting. When this cake is iced, it looks like a cake that could have been in a 1950s style bakery front, especially in a pretty pastel color.
Advice from mom: Place a round 9 inch parchment paper round, buttered on both sides, at the bottom of the pans. She also learned how to ice a cake from watching Martha...so watch her :)

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SMALL CAKE(TWO 8" LAYER CAKE PANS OR 9" SQUARE PAN)

Follow all the instructions above, but change the quantities to the following:
2 1/4 cups sifted Softasilk flour or 2 1/8 cups Gold Medal flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup soft shortening
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons flavoring
4 egg whites

Ricetta Salsa Verde from Firenze

2006-12-16T14:02:00.000-05:00

A Real Italian Cookbook

Ricetta Salsa Verde
Homemade tarts with pastry cream & cognac glazed pears served with ginger ice cream

Thanks to the man in Todd (pictured above on the right), Braude's Bites is being published from bed today as I enjoy the new benefits of being wireless. I feel free in so many ways :) About a week ago, Lee and I were invited to a stranger's for dinner. All I knew about Gioia was that we shared a personal trainer, a love for cooking and a friendship with Karina & Todd. These nuggets, along with the fact that she is from Florence and adores entertaining, convinced me that her dinner would be worth traipsing to Brooklyn for in the middle of the week. I like Brooklyn, don't get me wrong, but Lee and I are known to stay home or within a 10 block radius from our apartment during the week. Not only did I make a new friend, we also ate a dinner to remember. Move out of the way, Giada DeLaurentis! Gioia is the real deal. Before we arrived, Karina & Todd scared her letting her know I do not eat cheese. Gioia called me to better understand my hatred for cheese and told me she had a cousin that hated cheese, but if you hid it, she wouldn't know. I explained her that if cheese came within a foot of any of my senses, I would know. The Italian goddess was thrilled to take on the no cheese challenge and delivered a meal that fell from heaven (and I appreciate it!). Her kitchen was so eclectic, full of authentic Italian cookbooks, rare spices and top of the line kitchen gadgets. Her mandalin was taller than me. When we got there, there were pears boiling in cognac, tarts shells coming out of the oven and a succulent tenderloin roasting. We started with a fettucini with salsa verde that was smooth & nutty. It tasted like it was from an Italian restaurant, which could be called Buon Gioia (I don't take credit for inventing the name of this "would be" hotspot). Moved on to my tuna tartare for a Hawaiian course in the middle of an Italian meal. For the main course,we had a wonderful salad with fennel, jicama (pronounced by Gioia as GI-CA-MA) and pears with a juicy medium rare beef tenderloin and crispy roasted new potatoes. For dessert, we enjoyed home made pear tarts with ginger ice cream. The crust, the pastry cream and the cognac glazed pears were delightful....so delightful, I ate Jorge's uneaten half as well. Who says I have class?

Gioia's Ricetta Salsa Verde

30 grams flat leaf (Italian) parsley

1 large garlic clove

2 filets of anchovy in olive oil (drained)

1 tsp dijon mustard

15 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

45 ml best olive oil you can get

salt and pepper

Put garlic, parsley, anchovies and salt in the blender and mix. Add lemon juice and mustard - blend again. At low speed, pour the olive oil in a bit at a time. Add pepper last.

This salsa verde would be great with pasta, the way Gioia served it, or on beef tenderloin and/or roast beef sandwiches.

Buon Appetito from Buon Gioia!

Going butternuts!

2006-12-05T19:16:00.000-05:00

I discovered butternut squash soup at Corryn's apartment a few years back. I loved it & asked for the recipe. Since then, I have passed the recipe on to my mom who makes it all the time. Last year when my grandmother, parents and Jean came to our apartment for dinner for the first time, I made this soup. It's a perfect fall soup with a luscious velvety texture, perfect for a fall or winter dinner and will allow you to keep your girlish figure. Cutting the squash will require a good chef's knife and a workout....make it easier, spare the effort and buy it pre-cut if you can.

Butternut Squash Soup - Serves 6
Bonnie Stern

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 baking potato, peeled & diced
1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add onions and garlic. Cook gently until very fragrant and tender. Add potatoes and squash. Cook a few minutes until lightly browned. Stir well. Add stock and bring to a boil. Cook 20 minutes or until very tender. Season with salt & pepper & red pepper flakes. Puree soup in a blender, food processor or an immersion blender. Add more stock or water if soup is too thick. Return to heat and keep warm.

Optional: Bonnie Stern suggested taking 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, adding some water and making a tomato paint for each serving of the soup (swirls, polk-a-dots). Many restaurants serve the soup with a dollop of creme fraiche.

A Coincidence: Allison's Spicy Peanut Noodles & Shrimp

2006-12-02T12:13:00.000-05:00

A while back, I clipped a recipe out of Cooking Light magazine for spicy peanut noodles with shrimp. At the time I clipped it, I paid no attention to who had created the recipe.

As months would pass, we would be watching tv and Lee would exclaim: "Hey, that's Allison Fishman!". She would keep popping up in commercials for ICE and on Dave Lieberman's show. Since then, I have become e-mail buddies with Allison, an old friend of Lee's from high school, who is a cooking teacher, food stylist and recipe developer from Brooklyn. Check out her yummy recipes, cooking classes and blog at The Wooden Spoon.

The other night, I was flipping through my recipe binder, landed on the spicy peanut noodles with shrimp and realized it was created by Allison. So, I made it....and it was yummy without tasting "light"!

Enjoy!

Spicy Peanut Noodles with Shrimp
"Cooking Light" Magazine, Allison Fishman
serves 4 people

Peanut Sauce

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (I used reduced fat)

1/4 to 1/3 cup of water

2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 to 2 tsp chile paste with garlic (I used 1.5, we like it spicy!)

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt, divided

Shrimp

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Cooking spray

Pasta

4 cups cooked thick udon noodles or linguini (8 oz uncooked)

1 red bell pepper, julienned

3/4 cup chopped, seeded cucumber

1/4 cup diagonally cut green onions

3 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts

2 tbsp cilantro leaves

4 lime wedges (optional)

1. To prepare sauce, combine the first 6 ingredients and 1/4 tsp salt and stir with a whisk.

2. To prepare the shrimp, toss with 1/4 tsp salt. Saute in a nonstick skillet coated with Pam over medium high heat for 3 minutes on each side or until done.

3. To prepare pasta, combine peanut sauce, shrimp, noodles, bell pepper, cucumbers and onions in a large bowl, toss well. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

The meal is less than 425 calories and tastes great. Go Allison go!

Note: I used soba noodles instead.

An excuse to eat apple crostata

2006-11-24T12:01:00.000-05:00

I'm a Canadian married to an American and we're living in the US. Although I don't like turkey, I love the premise of Thanksgiving and the fact that the week is cut short on Wednesday...these Americans do it right.
Here's another great one from Barefoot Contessa Parties!
I'm not her publicist, just a big fan....This is the second time I have made this rustic apple crostata and you only have to make the crust once. It went over very well both times! A perfect Thanksgiving dessert last night.

Apple Crostata- Serves 6
Barefoot Contessa Parties!

Needed equipment: rolling pin, food processor, baking sheet, microplane zester and some bowls

For the pastry (makes enough for 2 tarts!)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 lb very cold unsalted butter, diced

For the filling (1 tart)
1 1/2 lbs McIntosh, Empire or Macoun apples (3 apples)
1/4 tsp grated orange zest
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice (I didn't have it and skipped it)
4 Tbsp cold unsalted butter (1/2 stick), diced

For the pastry, place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Unplug food processor and take out the blade. Add the butter and toss quickly with your fingers to coat each cube of butter with the flour. Replug the food processor and put the blade back, pulse 12-15 times or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add 1/4 cup of ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board and form 2 disks. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate one of the disks for at least an hour. Freeze the rest of the pastry to use for your next masterpiece!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

For the filling, peel, core and quarter the apples. Cut each quarter into 3 chunks. Toss the chunks with the orange zest. Cover the tart dough with apple chunks, leaving a 1 1/2 inch border.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon, and allspice into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts holding together. Sprinkle evenly on apples. Gently fold the border over the apples, pleating it to make a circle.

Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Let the tart cool for 5 minutes, then use 2 large spatulas to carefully transfer it to a wire rack.

Bon Appetit!

A Rite of Passage

2006-11-21T14:33:00.000-05:00

If you're a Jewish Canadian and your mother liked to cook, chances are that some time after you left home, your mom gave you a trio of cookbooks by Norene Gilletz. When I was little, I always saw my mom cooking from "Second Helpings" and "The Pleasures of Your Processor". As I got older, Norene came out with "Microways" and "Meal- Lean- I Yumm" to adapt to changing technologies and health and wellness! During the holidays, my mom always made a sweet and creamy dressing from her book, "The Pleasures of Your Processor". As I prepare to bring salad over to my thanksgiving feast at my mother-in-law's in Long Island, I made this dressing. Note: This dressing is NOT LOW FAT!!

Sweet & Spicy French Dressing (yields 2 3/4 cups dressing)
From: The Pleasures of Your Processor by Norene Gilletz

2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tbsp salt (I use Kosher)
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 1/2 cup oil (I use extra virgin)
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

Peel garlic & drop it through the feed tube on your food processor with machine running. Process until minced. Scrape down the bowl, add remaining ingredients and process 25-30 seconds until blended and creamy.

Do not freeze. This dressing keeps 2 months in the fridge in a tightly closed jar.

Not your mom's tuna salad

2006-11-08T19:05:00.000-05:00

This recipe is a great twist on crowd-pleasing tuna tartare. It's one of the quickest and healthiest meals around and comes from the one and only, Ina. I have to say that since Nigella has arrived on Food Network, I feel like I have been cheating on Ina. Her British accent is so sophisticated and my first recipe, her key lime pie, had me at hello. I have also stolen one of her bad habits by sneaking out of bed every night to steal some dark chocolate from the pantry. Anyway, I digress.

The key to this recipe is simple: fresh fish from a trusted fish shop, make sure it's bright red and doesn't smell. Use it within 36 hrs from when you buy it (this is my guideline, not the FDA's :) )

Tuna Salad (The Barefoot Contessa, serves 4)

2 lbs very fresh tuna steak, cut 1 inch thick
4 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
2 limes, zest grated (love my microplane zester!)
1 tsp wasabi powder (if you don't have, skip it, you could also keep some from last night's sushi...the green paste)
6 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice (3 limes)
2 tsp soy sauce
10 dashes hot sauce (Ina and I use Tabasco)
1 to 2 ripe Hass avocado (the more, the merrier..mmm)
1/4 cup minced scallions (these are shallots in Canada), white & green parts (2 scallions)
1/4 cup red onion, small diced
*You can also add in hearts of palm, I think they go great!

Brush the tuna steaks with olive oil and sprinkle with s&p. Place the tuna steaks in a very hot saute pan and cook for a minute on each side. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, s&p, lime zest, wasabi, lime juice, soy sauce and hot sauce. Add the avocados to the vinaigrette.

Cut the tuna chunks and place it in a large bowl. Add the scallions and red onion and mix well. Pour the vinaigrette mixture over the tuna and carefully mix.

NO cooking required tabbouleh

2006-10-25T10:37:00.000-04:00

Barefoot Contessa Parties! is the gift that keeps on giving. It is the source of my lemon bars, apple crostata, Asian grilled salmon and orzo with roasted vegetables. I haven't tasted a bad recipe yet! This is another wonderful recipe from the cookbook that would taste great with Moroccan chicken and yogurt mint sauce. I've always bought Tabbouleh, this was my first time making it. It's super easy & tastes better as it sits in the fridge. Unlike many Contessa recipes, there is no butter and this is healthy!
The tastes of the fresh mint and fresh parsley against the nutty lemony grain are so pleasing to the palate. There is no cooking involved, just some cutting.

Tabbouleh (Barefoot Contessa Parties)
Serves 8

1 cup bulgur wheat
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 cup good olive oil (I use less!)
3 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup minced scallions, white & green parts (1 bunch- note: these are shallots in Canada)
1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (1 bunch)
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)
1 cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and medium-diced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Place the bulgur in a large bowl, pour in the boiling water and add in lemon juice, olive oil and 1 1/2 tsp of kosher salt. Stir, then allow to stand at room temperature for about an hour.

Add the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 2 tsp of salt and the pepper; mix well. Season to taste and serve, or cover and refrigerate (a day or two will make it taste better!).

I just got her new cookbook, Barefoot Contessa at Home, stay posted for reviews of her new recipes! In case you're interested, she is going on a book tour to promote the new cookbook.

Spicy Filets & Cool Mint

2006-10-20T18:36:00.000-04:00

Coffee rubbed filets- YUM

In my 4th of July post, I talked about how it was worth it to smell up your small apartment for some good grill marks. I have finally decided that without a fan or outdoor bbq, grilling recipes are a big commitment....to having a smoky apartment for 2 days. With that being said, I have been experimenting. I made Bobby Flay's coffee rubbed steak last night after picking up 1 lb of beautiful beef tenderloin from Citarella.
Instead of grilling ribeyes, I roasted 2 filets for 25 minutes at 425 degrees until they were medium rare. Not only does my apartment not smell, the result was exponentially better! Once you make the spice rub once, you have leftovers for 2 more times, I will definitely be making these juicy filets for guests, Lee told me it was one of the best meals I have ever made him- restaurant quality! What a charmer :)

NOTE 12/24/06: Since I originally posted this, I have tried this recipe again with filets from other grocery stores. Here's my learning: the reason the beef from Citarella tasted better was cause it was center cut USDA Prime...I am no meat expert, but much to my surprise, the taste difference is undeniable. As Ruth Reichl writes in the book I am reading now, "Garlic and Sapphires", "great steak is bought, not cooked". This recipe was case in point.

I also made Geneve's Moroccan chicken. Instead of grilling it like I did last week, I baked it in the oven. It tasted great as well. With the baked Moroccan chicken, I made a yogurt mint sauce that cools down the spicy bite of the chicken. I got the idea from a recipe card I picked up @ Williams Sonoma. Try this easy & healthy yogurt mint sauce with chicken or the spice rubbed beef:

Low Fat Yogurt Mint Sauce (adapted from a Williams Sonoma recipe card)

1 cup of fat free Greek Yogurt (I use Fage 0%)
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp of lemon juice

Chicken from Fez

2006-10-14T12:25:00.000-04:00

Another weekend is here. It's Saturday and I've had my favorite breakfast: a Dunkin' Donuts hazelnut coffee and what seems to be one of my very last yogurt, granola and berries of the season. The berries of October are not tasting the same as the tart, juicy summer berries..go figure, the fruit vendor at the corner lied to me! After my breakfast, I headed to the gym and now I gotta make this post quick, I need to watch the Barefoot Contessa.

Thursday night, I made a very easy Moroccan chicken recipe that Geneve e-mailed me a few years back, well before we decided that our blogs would be our creative outlets. Until I get a kitchen fan or a backyard with a bbq, I have to stop making this recipe, so suburbanites, please enjoy it for me! The Le Creuset grill pan is really making my apartment smell like a bbq pit for 48 hours after.

The result is a succulent and spicy chicken that would be great with fattoush, hummus, babaghanoush and tabbouleh.

Play your Middle Eastern music, make some mint tea and enjoy this great Middle Eastern meal!

Geneve's Moroccan Chicken Skewers for 2
Marinade 2 chicken breasts for 30 minutes in this mixture and then grill:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1.5 Tbsp cumin
3/4 Tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 cup fresh parsley (I skip this if I don't have it)

It's quick, healthy and tasty, perfect for a week night.

Talia's Bridal Shower & "Oh My" Key Lime Pie

2006-10-08T21:24:00.000-04:00

They say practice makes perfect....we are getting better at throwing these bridal showers every time....Today was Talia's bridal shower. The five bridesmaids combined efforts to make it all happen. The cream colored roses, accented with pink, were floating in gorgeous, modern glass vases thanks to Nicki. Anyone who reads this should ask Nicki to be a bridesmaid, she can save you a lot of money at your wedding...her new nickname is the "45 minute florist". The ladies were entertained with a game by Corryn (that she impressively conducted off her Blackberry). Jodi made beautiful invites and organized to get a makeup artist from the Giorgio Armani counter @ Saks to come do a "teaching demonstration" on the bride. Naomi kept everyone coming back for more of her peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and bought the bride her new makeup brush set. As for me, as you may have guessed, I made Magnolia cupcakes and Nigella's key lime pie. It was great to have Talia's mom in from Ottawa, Darren's mom in from Montreal and Jodi, the maid of honor, in from Toronto for the festivities!

Since I have already blogged about the cupcakes, here's the recipe to a Farber approved (Andre, Darren & Bob) key lime pie. In celebration of Nigella Lawson's debut on Food TV (Sundays at 1 pm), my timing couldn't be better. Love this dessert cause you can make it and freeze it and then whip it out to serve...It does require a lot of equipment, but it's easy to make, so don't be shy!

Key Lime Pie (How To Be A Domestic Goddess, Nigella Lawson)
*Use a 9 inch springform pan, a food processor and an electric mixer*

For the Crust
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp (or 7 oz) graham crackers
scant 1/4 cup softened, unsalted butter

For the Filling
5 large egg yolks
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
zest of 3 limes
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp lime juice (of 4-5 limes)
3 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put graham crackers and butter in a food processor and blitz until it's all reduced to oily crumbs. Press these into the pan, lining the bottom and going a little way up the sides and chill while you continue.

Use your stand mixer or a handheld mixer to beat egg yolks until thick, add the can of condensed milk, grated zest and the lime juice. Whisk the egg whites separately until soft peaks form, then gently fold into the yolk mixture. Pour into the lined pan and bake for 25 minutes, when the filling should be firm. I also whipped 1/2 pint of heavy cream and iced the top and decorated with limes. Leave to cool on a rack before unmolding and chill well. You can keep this in the fridge or freezer until you're ready to serve.

Hope everyone had fun today !
Naomi- would you like to guest blog your cookies ?

Kasha and Bow Ties

2006-10-07T12:10:00.000-04:00

This was one of the side dishes in our pre-Yom Kippur fast. It comes from a cookbook I found at my mother's called "Jewish Cooking Made Slim"- what an oxymoron! It is a very traditional Jewish dish and is one of my favorites for a Friday night dinner or holiday. Although it tastes amazing, this version only has 147 calories per serving...if you can only enjoy one serving....that's the challenge.

Kasha and Bow Ties (serves 12)

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup medium kasha (buckwheat groats)- I use Wolff's brand
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups boiling water
2 bouillon cubes, any flavor
1/2 lb bow tie-shaped noodles, cooked
up to 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp diet margarine

Saute onion in oil over medium heat until translucent. Set aside. In large frying pan with lid, mix kasha and beaten egg thoroughly enough so that egg is completely absorbed by kasha. Stir and cook over medium hear until egg is set. Pour in boiling water and bouillon cubes, stir, cover, and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in onions, noodles, s&p and diet margarine. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve. It can be made a few hours in advance and microwaved.

The Foodblogger's Guide to the Globe

2006-10-05T17:47:00.000-04:00

I just got tagged by Geneve at Geneve's Kitchen to participate in a MEME started by Melissa, an American cook living in Scotland at the Traveler's Lunchbox. This exercise calls for listing 5 foods that you would eat before you die. When I saw that Melissa, the creator of this very up my alley idea, loved Berthillon ice cream in Paris, I was sold. I went to Paris for the first time last summer and loved their ice cream (Karina- thanks for the suggestion!). My next question is: "what is a meme ?".

Here are the 5 things I would eat:

1. Tuna Tartare Avocado: I have been known to choose it on any menu, one of my favorites is at Alan Wong's Hualalai Grill on the Big Island of Hawaii. My homemade tuna tartare from the Barefoot Contessa is a real crowd pleaser as well.
2. A medium rare steak at Prime 112 in Miami, Florida
3. A packed to the rim falafel with chips, hummus, tehina and hot sauce in one of three places:
-Israel
-Mivami at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia
-L'As du Falafel on Rue Des Rosiers in Le Marais, Paris
4. A Sushi dinner (including an Aloha and Kamikaze roll) at Mikado in Montreal.
5. A dessert plate with creme brulee, chocolate molten cake, apple crumb pie and key lime pie (don't make me pick!!)

That was stressful! I'd like to pass the torch to Cathy from A Blithe Palate.

Feasting Before the Fast

2006-10-04T22:51:00.000-04:00

Before the Yom Kippur fast on Sunday night, Lee and I hosted a feast for 3 of our close friends, Mark, Naomi and Dave....all lonely Canadians who couldn't make it back home for this 24 hour holiday.

One of the highlights of the feast was my mom's sweet and sour meatballs. I grew up with these meatballs and am delighted to keep the family tradition going! These meatballs exemplify "comfort food" at its very best and they are served to accolades everytime!

Mom's Sweet and Sour Meat Balls (serves 6)

2 lbs minced meat
2 eggs
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp fresh garlic
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp bread crumbs
20 oz tin tomato juice
1 cup or less of ketchup
1/2 cup or less of sugar
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Combine meat, eggs, seasonings, water and breadcrumbs and mix well/ Form tiny balls. Combine remaining ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to boil. Add meatballs one by one. Once you have covered the bottom of the saucepan with the first layer of meatballs, make sure the first meatballs are greyish and do not burn before adding the rest of the meatballs to the pot. Cover and simmer for 1 hr and 15 minutes. Remove cover and simmer 15 minutes longer.

I cook the meatballs in a dutch oven and put them in the fridge after I finish making them. They're perfect for the holidays cause they can be made in advance. An hour before you're ready to entertain, simmer them on the stovetop.

The rest of the menu was walnut and panko crusted chicken, kasha and bowties and caramelized butternut squash. For dessert, we enjoyed Ina Garten's fabulous apple crostata...I also enjoyed it last night...again :) and chewy peanut butter chocolate chip cookies from another blogger at the Canadian Baker!

Tofu & Soba: A Ladies' dinner

2006-09-28T23:41:00.000-04:00

About 6 years ago, while I was in Australia, I fell in love with tofu. I don't remember why I decided to pick it up at Coles in Bondi, but I did.
In my single life, tofu was one of my staples. With my late nights out,went my tofu....although I am sure a lot of men like it, my bet is that most don't....My good friend, Talia, and I made dinner on Tuesday night. It was healthy, Asian and vegetarian.

Mint and Scallion Soba Noodles- Sarah Moulton, Gourmet
Makes 6 servings

12 oz dried soba noodles (Japanese buckwheat noodles)
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar (not seasoned)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/4 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped mint
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions (1 1/2 bunches)

Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling noodles until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and drain well. While noodles are cooking, stir together vinegar, oil, soy sauce, sugar and salt until sugar is dissolved. Toss noodles with dressing, mint and scallions.

This was my first time using soba noodles, they have a very unique taste. They mix so well with the ingredients in this recipe to make a perfectly healthy side dish that can be made easily in advance and thrown in the fridge. The soba noodles would make a great side dish to my tequila lime chicken for a summer bbq. This recipe will be a staple in my house.

Ginger-Sesame Grilled Tofu (Cooking Light Magazine, Aug 05)
Serves 4

1 lb reduced fat, firm tofu steaks ( I like Nasoya brand)
2/3 cup ginger sesame vinaigrette (see below for recipe)
1 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
8 lime slices

1. Place tofu between paper towels and cover with cans to make water come out. This is a must when working with tofu, so the water comes out and the marinade clings to the tofu better. Let stand for 20 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Combine ginger sesame vinaigrette, soy sauce and cilantro. Remove 1/4 cup of cilantro marinade and set aside. Pour the rest of the marinade over tofu in a 13 x 9 baking dish, cover and marinate for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

2. Prepare grill (or grill pan in my case!) to medium high heat

3. Add lime slices to marinade. Grill tofu and limes on both sides for 2 minutes each and baste frequently.

Calories: 307 , Fat: 9.3 g, Protein 16.3 g, fiber 4.8 g

Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup yellow miso paste
1/4 cup chopped green onions (shallots in Canada)
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp fresh ginger
2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
4 tsp canola oil
2 tsp dark sesame oil

Combine first 2 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whish until smooth. Stir in green onions and the remaining ingredients. This yields 1 1/3 cups. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, stir well before using.

This recipe is high maintenance cause of the making of the vinaigrette and the marinating. I would recommend making the vinaigrette in advance.

Enjoy!

Gluttony

2006-09-25T21:13:00.000-04:00

Unbelievable that I have any desire to cook or write about food after the weekend I had. We spent the weekend in Montreal gorging ourselves on my mother's food for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. In the past few weeks, I have had some great culinary experiences...most of them have not been in my kitchen. Being domestic is sometimes overrated :)

The Tea Box @ Takashimaya (5th Avenue between 54th & 55th in Midtown NY)
If you work in midtown and need a zen like experience (god help us, we all do), consider Takashimaya as an alternative to a yoga class. I like yoga just like the next girl, but for $19, you get a beautiful bento box complete with a heavenly selection of 4 different foods and a nice desert for lunch.
The Tea Box is a spa-like haven from all things NY: cell phones, loud honking noises and rushed people. The Tea Box is located in the basement of an upscale Japanese department store. The bento box is fabulous bang for your buck, nothing else is affordable unless you think four hundy is worth it for coasters.

Koi (40th between 5th and 6th in the Bryant Park Hotel in NYC)
After going to Koi in Los Angeles, I thought that their new New York location may be a disappointment, not so. Koi is a very modern and trendy restaurant across from Bryant Park. All the ceviche and sushi that I've tried there both times was great. The highlight is the crispy rice with spicy tuna, it is one of my favorite dishes anywhere. Imagine pan fried rice topped with spicy tuna, jalapeno, chili oil, mayo and scallions- 'nuf said.

Ellie Krieger's Apple Muffins

2006-09-11T21:57:00.000-04:00

After seeing Ellie Krieger, the new Food TV hostess and nutritionist, bake these low fat muffins on "Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger" a couple of weeks ago, I put them on my "to blog" list. They are moist and taste like a light version of apple pie. Enjoy this recipe as a breakfast or mid day snack. Keep them in ziplocs in the freezer for a "go to" snack.

One Click Swordfish

2006-09-06T12:02:00.000-04:00

Many who know me think I work undercover for Freshdirect, an online grocery store that has been delivering in Manhattan for 4-5 years. I was an early adopter and got on the online bandwagon very early on. Why was I going to go the corner grocery store to get $5 moldy raspberries in aisles too small for shopping carts? The kicker is that I then have to shlep 6 bags home. Freshdirect allows you to shop when you want, where you want, and promises only the freshest produce. There is a feature called "quickshop" that has your entire shopping list on it from previous deliveries, making shopping that much more convenient. The best part is if I'm not home, the order stays with the doorman for an hour or two!

If you don't live in the NY area and you like food, you should check out their site, it's pretty and gives you beautiful visuals of different kinds of fish, meat and veggies. It also educated users with a seasonal guide and storage guide for fruit so we can figure out when a berry crumble would be more appropriate than an apple crumb pie (both sound good to me always). Their newest feature is "one click recipes". My first recipe was a hit! FreshDirect has thousands of recipes at my fingertips. It was as easy as searching for an ingredient or type of cuisine, finding the recipe to suit your taste and the ingredients will be automatically added to your cart. Genius!

Swordfish with Lime and Coriander
(from The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook)

3 lb swordfish steak

1/2 cup olive oil

juice of 3 limes

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

lime wedges

4 tbsp butter

Marinate the swordfish in olive oil, lemon juice and 1/2 cup of coriander. Let it sit for a few hours, turning the fish over a few times. Remove the fish from the marinade, reserve excess marinade. Season the steaks and grill on both sides, basting with reserved marinade frequently.

Remove the steaks from the grill, spread them with butter and the remaining 1/4 cup of cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Here is the official recipe on Freshdirect. I left out the butter to make it healthier and used a sprinkle of lime juice on each steak after it came off the grill. I also used my indoor grill pan...no coals :)

Although I have tried similar recipes involving lime juice and swordfish, this one click recipe was the best ! A nice zesty crust formed outside the swordfish and the meat was very juicy. I didn't even miss the butter I left out.

It would be great if you could change the serving sizes automatically and review the recipes online, a feature I really enjoy on www.epicurious.com.

This one's easy, enjoy it on a weeknight!

One Nutty Chicken

2006-08-25T21:43:00.000-04:00

I found this phenomenal recipe while getting a pedicure a few years ago. I have always found that good chicken recipes are hard to come by, so I clipped this out of a Shape magazine while getting a pedi. There seems to be an abundance of grilled chicken recipes that have caught my eye over the past few years, but good baked chicken recipes have been few and far between. If you will be celebrating and entertaining for Rosh Hashanah, I especially recommend this recipe cause of the beautiful apple chutney. This recipe is rich in omega 3 fatty acids from walnuts and fiber from apples and contains almost no saturated fat. The walnuts and panko make a crunchy thin crust around the juicy chicken.

Walnut Crusted Chicken with Apple Chutney
serves 4

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (4 oz each)
s & p
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (also known as panko)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, cut into fine pieces
2 McIntosh apples, cored, peeled & diced
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp minced red onion
2 Tbsp raisins
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425. Coat a large baking sheet with Pam. Flatten chicken breasts with a skillet, meat mallet or a rolling pin- make sure chicken is covered with plastic wrap. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken. Place flour in a shallow dish, add chicken, coat on both sides. Shake off excess flour. Place beaten egg whites in a shallow dish, add chicken pieces and turn to coat. In a shallow dish, combine walnuts and panko. Press chicken into nutty mix on both sides. Bake chicken for about 17 minutes on your prepared baking sheet.

While the chicken is baking, make your apple chutney by bringing apples, water, red onion, raisins, red wine vinegar and cinnamon to a boil in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes , until liquid is absorbed. Don't cook too long or prepare the chutney in advance and reheat, it will get mushy.

You can bread the chicken breasts in advance and keep them in the fridge.
This entree tastes great with roasted veggie orzo and fatoush.

Restaurants for Relief

2006-08-21T19:38:00.000-04:00

We just got back from a weekend in the deep South. We had a wedding in Cullman, Alabama and it was a real experience for these Yankees!
It was Lee's first time at the Cracker Barrel, we indulged in fluffy biscuits, they were so delicious. My favorite part of the weekend was the wedding cakes. In the South, there are two cakes, a bride's cake and a groom's cake. I wouldn't mind bringing that tradition North! The groom was from New Orleans and his mother is a pastry chef, she made the groom's cake and the flowers on the bride's cake. These cakes were gorgeous and delicious.
Check out the LSU themed cake for the groom...there are tigers on it !
Unfortunately, the groom's parents lost their house & all of her pastry equipment in Katrina. The cakes, to me, symbolized rebirth. After hearing stories of the carnage of Katrina and the effects it had on the groom's friends & family this weekend, it really hit home when I got an email about a "Restaurants for Relief" event. On Tuesday, August 29th, the one year anniversary of Katrina, when you dine at certain restaurants, a % of your meal will go to "Share our Strength" to help with Katrina relief. As part of Share our Strength's mission to end childhood hunger in America, the organization is helping families in the Gulf Coast. The proceeds will go to rebuild school cafeterias, open summer meal programs and provide assistance for affected restaurant employees. Click here to check out the participating restaurants for relief. Our reservation is all set for Tabla on Tuesday night.

Razzmatazz

2006-08-20T19:00:00.000-04:00

The recipe for these razzmatazz bars was sent to me by my friend, Talia. It originates from Nestle, clearly a recipe created to sell more Nestle white morsels....I am a victim of corporate marketing. After my friends at work sent me off to get married in May with bags full of gifts from Williams Sonoma, I felt like I needed to give them a return on their investment. I brought these bars to work on Wednesday for a National Accounts meeting and they razzled and dazzled my friends at work. Their comments may have been relative next to the cafeteria food.

Razzmatazz Bars (makes 16 bars)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

2 cups (12 oz package) of Nestle Tollhouse Premier white morsels, divided

2 large eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 325. Grease and sugar a 9 inch square baking pan. Melt butter in medium, microwave safe bowl on high (100%) power for 1 minute; stir. Add 1 cup of morsels, let stand and do not stir.

Beat eggs in your stand mixer until foamy. Add sugar; beat until light lemon colored, about 5 minutes. Stir in morsel-butter mixture. Add flour, salt and almond extract; mix at low speed until combined. Spread 2/3 batter into the pan.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Remove from oven to wire rack.

Heat jam in small, microwave-safe bowl on high (100%) power for 30 seconds; stir. Spread jam over warm crust. Stir remaining morsels into remaining batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter over jam. Sprinkle with almonds.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars, take to office and make new friends at work !

These bars are very rich, full of white chocolate and the taste of raspberry jam with a slight almond infusion.

Jose and I

2006-08-16T22:21:00.000-04:00

Yesterday evening, I walked by a liquor store in the village that triggered my memory for a main dish that I love! I wanted to enter Men In Aprons blog carnival of the grill and this is the perfect way to do it. I walked in & bought a flask of Jose Cuervo and here we are....This Barefoot Contessa recipe was shared with me by Geneve Stewart from Geneve's Kitchen in May 2005. I just realized tonight that Geneve was the genius who turned me on to this domestic goddess and it's been love ever since. This tequila lime chicken is fabulous, Ina makes it a lot on Food Network. This chicken is succulent, juicy and looks so pretty with the grill marks. It's a good secret for the nights you just can't move (you just need to know the night before that you have a busy day coming up) & for the nights when you're entertaining.

Tequila Lime Chicken- Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, serves 6
1/2 cup gold tequila
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (5-6 limes)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeno peppers (1 pepper seeded)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2-3 cloves)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
3 whole or 6 split chicken breasts
If you like cilantro, add it !

My favorite part is that you whip up the marinade in 8 minutes and then you submerge the chicken overnight in the fridge. This recipe was made for the working woman!

When I came home from work today, I removed the chicken from the marinade & discarded the marinade. I put a tiny bit of olive oil on each side and grilled for 5-6 minutes on each side, which depends on the thickness of chicken.

Lee loves the recipe, it's simple and tastes beautiful.

Here's a recommended Southwestern/summer entertaining menu:

Start with guacamole, salsa and nachos
Serve tequila lime chicken with corn on the cob or a roasted corn salad
Finish with key lime pie or a berry crumble (coming soon !!)
Don't forget the margaritas (make use of Jose!)

MMMexican

2006-08-11T19:54:00.000-04:00

When I was teaching myself to cook on my semester abroad in Sydney in 2000, I started adding salsa to all my stirfries. Somehow my chicken stirfry became more like chicken fajitas. Over the past few years, I have stepped it up, added some killer guac and we have a very nice bi-monthly healthy Mexican night. My favorite part is the guacamole, the cumin and tabasco really kick it up! I even started to make it with a molcajete, a mortar and pestle that Mexicans use to make their guac.

The guacamole recipe can be found here at www.epicurious.com.
I add tomatoes, a tiny pinch of Tabasco and season with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Sometimes, I skip the jalapeno and the cilantro. IT will still taste fabulous, don't worry! You can also substitute the onion with red onion.

Sherri's Chicken Fajitas (serves 2 people)

1 boneless chicken breast (enough for 2 people, 12 oz)
1 red onion
1 red pepper
1 tomato
1 garlic clove
a pinch of Goya Adobo (This is sold in all NY grocery stores, may be tougher to find in areas with less multicultural populations, so omit ! This is a shout out to my old roommate and close friend, Penny, who put Adobo on everything, even Chinese food and Lean Cuisines.)
1/2 cup of salsa

Heat a 10 inch skillet on medium heat with 1/2 Tbsp olive oil. Add chicken until it loses the pink color. Add in cut vegetables & garlic. Season with salt, pepper and Adobo. At the end, add in the salsa. Don't overcook, keep the chicken juicy!

Serve with warm tortillas, sour cream, shredded cheese and guacamole.

This meal is a household favorite, let me know how you enjoy it in yours!

Philippe & Le Clafouti

2006-08-09T15:32:00.000-04:00

This summer, more than any other summer, every single food magazine is blessing their covers with gorgeous fruity pies, cobblers and grunts. I have clipped a good 10 recipes that I want to try, but being mindful of my waist line, I have to take it easy :) As I flipped through Bon Appetit in June, I saw a beautiful picture of a cherry almond clafouti. Not only had I never tasted a clafouti before, I had no clue what it was. Last summer when we were in Paris & Nice, I was more focused on creme brulee and tarte aux pommes, oh yeah and gateaux de chocolat...you get the picture.
I asked my French trainer, Philippe, if he ever ate clafouti....I got a mouthful about his mother making it when he was a child and how good it was....Apparently, clafouti is what the real French eat at home and doesn't find its place on many dessert menus at restaurants. So, I invited him for dinner and decided to make clafouti, not knowing what I was really making.

Clafouti is a french dessert that, as Bon Appetit promises, tastes like a "cross between a pancake and a custard". Cherries are the most traditional fruit to use, but it was my first time eating cherries and I have to say I think I like berries better...so next time, I will be making strawberry clafouti. A famous French food blogger, Clotilde Desouliers, of "Chocolate and Zucchini", has a strawberry recipe, it will be my next conquest. Cherries are a pain to pit and their red juice runs onto everything! This dessert reminds me of eating slightly undercooked pancakes, it has the consistency of a doughy cookie. You should try it on a night you are eating rustic French food!

Philippe ate more than 1/2 of the clafouti and I thoroughly enjoyed it as well. Ironic that he always tells me to eat fish, but when I invite him to dinner, he tells me: "no fish for dinner, I get hungry." Yeah, you and ME both! So, I made him chicken after being told beef is too hefty for night....and he ate 3 servings of chicken, asparagus, sweet potatoes and 1/2 the clafouti.

One happy trainer ...and one LUCKY BASTARD ! I don't know many women who could devour half a pie and 3 chicken breasts for dinner and still look good!

Cherry Almond Clafouti (Bon Appetit June 2006)
6 servings

1/2 cup whole almonds (about 2 oz)
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 tbsp plus 1/2 cup sugar
8 oz dark sweet cherries, pitted & halved (about 2 cups)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp almond extract
pinch of salt
1/4 cup all purpose flour
powdered sugar

Blend almonds in processor until ground, but not pasty. Transfer to a small saucepan; add milk and bring to simmer. Remove from heat; let steep 30 minutes. Pour through fine strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids in strainers.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter 10 inch diameter pie dish, sprinkle with 1 tbsp of sugar. Scatter cherries evenly over bottom of dish.

Using an electric mixer, beat eggs, almond extracts, salt and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Add strained almond milk & beat to blend. Sift flour into egg mixture and beat until smooth. Pour mixture over cherries. Bake until set and knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.

This can be made 6 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Lightly dust clafouti with powdered sugar & serve.

Bon Appetit!

Fatoush will not give you a FAT TUSH

2006-08-04T19:06:00.000-04:00

I am back from Atlanta and I am exhausted....the muffins saved me from breakfasts of gluttony. One note: after 2 days, freeze these muffins, the blueberries will taste rancid if you don't :)

Before I left on my trip, I made one of my staple side dishes. It is so fresh tasting with tons of fresh herbs like mint, parsley and cilantro. This is a super healthy side dish that would taste phenomenal with hummus, chicken kebabs and falafel.

Fatoush (serves 6-8) from Sur La Table

Ingredients
2 large stale pita breads, torn into 1 inch pieces (or toast them!)
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
kosher salt
1 lb ripe tomatoes (3 tomatoes), seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
6 scallions, 1/4 inch slices
1 green pepper, 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
1/3 cup coarsely chopped mint
3 tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro
2 large cloves of garlic
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground pepper

1. Heat oven to 375. Spread torn pita on baking sheet and bake 10-15 minutes. Let cool.
2. Spread cucumber pieces on a paper towel & sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 20 minutes so the salt can extract the bitter juices. Put the cucumbers in a strainer and rinse with cold water. Pat dry. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cucs & tomatoes, scallions, green pepper, parsley, mint & cilantro.
3. Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Season with s&p. Toss dressing with veggies and toss in bread.

My favorite part of this salad is how the pita absorbs the olive oil, lemon juice and tomato juices. The mint is fabulous.