Catering Gig
Wednesday, May 30, 2012

This past Friday and Sunday, I catered a couple of on-site parties. I had Wednesday and Sunday morning to prepare for the Sunday brunch, and Thursday and Friday to prepare for the Friday evening party.

Since I had to prepare a good amount  in advance of Sunday, I had to plan on a certain number of dishes that would freeze or hold well for up to five days.

These individual cheesecakes fit the criteria.

Individual Cheesecakes with Raspberry Sauce

As they rest in the refrigerate, they just keep on getting tastier, so making them five days ahead was not a stumbling block. I bought the molds at J.B. Prince, an amazing store on 31^st street in NYC. I froze a batch of crepes (which were to be filled with strawberry-rhubarb compote), zucchini pancakes, lasagna, and this caramelized onion tart.

The asparagus salad that accompanied the tart I made right before serving. The asparagus was shaved raw and tossed with dressing, which softened the asparagus after about 20 minutes. I baked the tart without defrosting it first. It simply took an additional 15 minutes. Sunday I was able to focus on last minute items, like the fish.

I made the Friday desserts Friday afternoon. This is the blueberry buckle from the Healthy Hedonist Holidays.

Blueberry Buckle

This is a chocolate cake made in individual aluminum ramekins.

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Sauce

Powdered sugar covers a multitude of craters.

The Friday night meal had as a starter the Turkish chopped romaine salad and the miso-marinated black cod from The Healthy Hedonist.

Miso marinated cod with Turkish chopped salad

I marinated the cod early in the day (marinade made the day before) and just tossed it in the broiler to brown. Before serving I blasted the fish in a hot oven to reheat; the oily fish is so forgiving it was not in the least bit dried out .

The stock for the broccoli soup was made Wednesday and the soup and pistou topping were finished Thursday.

Broccoli Soup

The main course included braised short ribs and stuffed chicken (a great way to keep the chicken moist) as well as braised-roasted purple potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots, and lemony sautéed artichokes.

Friday Dinner Main Course

I planned the main course to have items on it that would reheat well without drying out.

For the Sunday buffet I did cook a couple of items that required precise timing, but not too many.  One of the most important things about cooking for a crowd–beside being organized–is to have a menu that is a bit forgiving.

Sumac Chicken
Tuesday, April 17, 2012

When my photography teacher waxed enthusiastic about his favorite sumac chicken,  I started thinking about how much I like the sour, astringent flavor that that the purple spice imparts to dishes. I am especially fond of the combination called za’atar, a mix of sumac, thyme, and sesame seeds, which is typically baked into Middle Eastern flat breads.

I hadn’t cooked with sumac for a while, and the thought of making a delicious chicken with the spice was intriguing.

My first version, which had sumac and salt rubbed in, over, and around the chicken was tasty, but not as tasty as I wanted.  The flavor needed a bit more complexity.

The next two versions were delicious.

First I mixed fresh thyme, salt, sumac, minced garlic, and extra virgin olive oil into a paste.

I butterflied open the chicken, then slipped the paste under the skin of the  chicken I had bought at Union Square green market.

Butterfly the Chicken

Slipping the Paste Under the Skin

I flipped the chicken and then brushed it with olive oil, and sprinkled it with more sumac, some dried thyme, and some garlic powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Sprinkling the Outside with Thyme, Sumac, Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper

I then transferred the chicken to the refrigerator to let the flavors seep into the meat. It’s great if you can make this dish a day in advance and let it marinate overnight.

So far I’ve cooked the chicken two ways. The first time I just placed it on a rack and put it in a 400˚F oven for about 50 minutes until a thermometer in the thigh registered about 175˚F.

Roasted at 400˚

The next time I set the chicken on a grill pan skin side down and put a weight on it. I used this nifty iron, but a cast iron skillet or anything weighty works just as well.

Press the Chicken to get Grill Marks

I grilled it over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes until some serious browning appeared, and I then flipped the chicken and transferred it to a rack in a pan and  placed it in a 350˚F. oven for another 40 minutes.

Grilled, then roasted

It was delicious this way, even almost tasting as if it had been grilled outdoors. Of course you could grill it on an outdoor grill, but for me, in Manhattan, this was not a possibility.

The bird was succulent, with bright zesty flavor. I served it with mujadarrah (rice and lentils with caramelized onions) and salad one time, and mujadarrah and roasted asparagus another.

With Mujadarrah and Salad

Eating for Radiant Skin: part 3
Wednesday, April 4, 2012

A Word about Fat:

Fat is important for skin health. It’s a mistake to be on a low-fat or no-fat diet. You need fat in order to digest, transport, and absorb Vitamin A,D,E, and K. It’s soothing to the nervous system.  Every cell in the body has a surrounding membrane – which is where communication between cells take place – that is made up of fat.

You need an array of fats. You need saturated fats to maintain structure; mono and polyunsaturated fats to maintain elasticity. All fats and oils that we consume are made up of a combination of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fats.

Polyunsaturated fats, also know as omega 3’s and 6’s, are the ones your body does not make. These are called essential fatty acids because you have to get them from food sources. Omega 3’s are good for countering inflammation in the body. Good sources for omega 3’s are fatty fish such as sardines, anchovies, tuna, and salmon; nuts, seeds, and organic eggs.

Because of the standard American highly refined diet, most people have far too many Omega 6’s and not enough Omega 3’s. The ideal ratio is somewhere between 1 to 4 times as much omega 6’s as 3’s. Most Americans get 20 times more omega 6’s than 3’s. Poor quality oils and feed lot meat contribute to an excess of Omega 6 fatty acids in the body.

It is easy to get good quality Omega 6’s from whole nuts and seeds, where they are less likely to be rancid. Refined polyunsaturated oils are unstable; they are exposed to high temperatures, chemical solvents, light and oxygen. The essential oils in them are destroyed, and they are rancid and oxidized. They suppress the immune system and cause inflamation. Eating a lot of polyunsaturated oil increases cholesterol in the tissues and cell membranes.

The best fats for cooking, which can take the heat without becoming rancid or oxidized, are butter, ghee (clarified butter), olive oil, coconut oil, and sesame oil.

To get a good supply of omega 3’s, I turn to the tinned fishes that I keep in my pantry. From these pantry staples I have developed nutritious, delicious meals that I can get on the table in minutes.

Wild Salmon, Mackerel, and Sardines from Vital Choice

A couple of years ago I met the folks at Vital Choice when I was at the wise traditions conference. They had a lot of samples of their fish, including everything from the tinned mackerel, sardines, and salmon to the wild king salmon. They were by far the most delicious tinned fish I had ever tasted, and I was impressed with the flash frozen salmon as well. We were served smoked cod from them as a first course as well, another delicious fish they sell. I returned home from the conference with multiple tins of each pantry staple and I ordered a lot more stuff when I returned home. Now I make sure to keep a supply of the flash-frozen salmon as well in my freezer.

(By the way, the Vital Choice catalogue is extensive, and among other products includes macadamia nut oil, dark chocolate, and a variety of different kinds of fish oil.)

One of my super quick go-to lunches is either the mackerel (or sardines) mashed with avocado, lemon, and salt on a bed of greens. I eat it on a bed of greens.

Here’s a quick video on how to make it:

Sardine-Mackerel Mash

Here’s a composed salad made with the sardines:

Composed Sardine Salad

Here’s a quick video on how to make it:

Sardine Salad

Another quick dish that I make a lot is with the flash-frozen wild salmon.

Salmon in Dashi

Here’s the video on how to make this:

Braised Salmon in Dashi

This last dish is made with the canned salmon and fresh salmon roe.

Salmon Frittata with Salmon Roe and Avocado

Salmon roe is a nutritional powerhouse, loaded with anti inflammatory omega 3’s as well as Vitamin A and D.

Here’s how to make it:

Salmon Frittata

Delicious, nutritious, fast, and easy!

Mediterranean Catering
Tuesday, March 27, 2012

I’ve been cooking a lot of Mediterranean food lately, for all kinds of events.

This one featured dukkah-crusted stuffed medallions of chicken. I filled boneless breasts with caramelized onions and garlic-sautéed spinach, then coated the breasts with flour, egg, and dukkah. Dukkah is a combination of toasted pistachios, sesame seeds, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. (It’s a great mix to have on hand to jazz up a meal.) The breasts were sautéed, then finished in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts Coated with Dukkah

I then sliced them with an electric saw to get these beautiful even cuts. Best thing about these breasts is that they stay tender, even when reheated the next day.

Sliced Stuffed Chicken

I also made Moroccan-braised short ribs. I had previously been making these with lamb shanks, but the short ribs worked as well. I salted, peppered, and browned the  short ribs first, then sautéed sliced red onions until tender. I added some harissa, garlic, ginger, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cumin, coriander, and cooked the spices for a couple of minutes.  I then added a jar of roasted red peppers and some stock, brought the liquid to a boil, and then transferred the baking pan to the oven. The dish braised at 325˚F. for 2 ½ hours. I pulled the dish out of the oven, added some dried apricots and figs, and returned it to the oven to cook uncovered at 500˚F. for another 30 minutes to brown. The ribs by this time were falling off the bone.

Moroccan-Braised Short Ribs

I tossed carrots, parsnips, and butternut squash with garlic, extra virgin olive oil, chicken stock (vegetable stock is good as well), cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cayenne and place them in the oven to braise at 375˚F. for about 45 minutes.  Then I let the vegetables cook another 20 minutes uncovered so that they could color.

Braise-Roasted Vegetables

For dessert, I made the coconut chocolate mousse from The Healthy Hedonist, layered with berry sauce and cashew cream made from cashews blended with coconut milk, maple sugar, and vanilla.

Coconut Chocolate Mousse Parfaits

I also made the cakes-in-a-jar for gifts, only this time they were topped off with whipped cream.  Thank goodness I had done a test run. (See previous post for how to make these.) They were a hit.

Topped off with Whipped Cream

The salad was an herbed watercress and orange blossom vinaigrette salad with roasted beets and was sprinkled with pistachios. This is how a single serving looked.

Watercress, Herb, and Beet Salad

All of these dishes stored well and could be made in advance, which was, after all, the whole idea.

Lamb Merguez Stew
Wednesday, February 22, 2012

I have been making lots of soups and stews this week to give to a friend who is recovering from surgery. The upside is that I’ve had a lot of delicious warming food around as well. This lamb merguez stew was a snap, since I had lamb bone broth in my freezer. Chicken stock, however, would work as well. I purchased the sausage from my favorite lamb farmer, 3-corner-Field farm at the Union Square greenmarket.

Lamb Merguez Stew

I first browned the sausage (about a pound) in a large pot, then removed it and cooked down the liquid. I added ½ cup shallots and sweated those in the small amount of lamb fat left in the pot for about 5 minutes. I then added a 2 ½ pound butternut squash that I had cut into 1-inch cubes, a jar of roasted red peppers, the cooked sausage and about 4 cups stock. I added some salt, covered the pot, and let the stew simmer for about 20 minutes, until the squash was soft. I added a whole head of chopped kale, then cooked the stew another 10 minutes until the kale was tender.

Meanwhile, on another burner, in a small skillet, I sautéed some garlic, ginger, and harissa powder for a couple of minutes, then added that to the stew. At the end, I smashed some of the cooked squash against the sides of the pot to thicken the stew. Simple, quick, delicious meal-in-a-pot.

Sunday Night Dinner
Thursday, February 16, 2012

Sunday Night Dinner

Sunday night was a night for using up those bits and pieces in the refrigerator and freezer. I had some wild salmon from Alaska ready to use that I had defrosted, as well as some toasted fennel seed vinaigrette. I keep a stash of homemade stocks in my freezer: roasted vegetable stock; chicken, fish, lamb, and beef bone broths, so I had instant flavor available to enliven my meal.

I defrosted a small bit of vegetable stock. I added the Swiss chard in a small pot with ½ cup or so of vegetable stock, puréed the whole mix, and finished it with a pat of butter.

I tossed the salmon in the fennel seed vinaigrette and then baked it at 375˚F. for about 15 minutes, until just pink in the middle.

I mixed the sliced carrots and parsnips with a couple tablespoons stock, a couple tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, a pinch cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper. I nestled some garlic slices among the vegetables as well. I baked them covered until tender, about 20 minutes, then uncovered them for another 10  minutes until the carrots and parsnips browned.

I steamed the cauliflower then sprinkled it with a mix of lemon zest, parsley, and chopped kalamata olives. I served the salmon, cauliflower, and carrot mix on top of the chard puree and tossed some pea shoots in the middle.

Slow Sunday Cooking
Friday, December 16, 2011

Last week I luxuriated in a solitary Sunday, a day devoted to complete hibernation. I stayed up impossibly late the night before, slept well into the day, and turned off my cell phone and computer. I spent the entire day perusing a hard copy of the New York Times, just budging off the couch from time to time to tend to the dishes that I was slow cooking.

The day before, from my local lamb farmer I had purchased lamb necks , which looked to me a lot like osso bucco.

Lamb Necks from 3 Corner Field Farm

This cut I had never cooked before; I knew that, like a lamb shank, a long slow cook in the oven would coax out the flavor and cook the meat to falling-off-the-bone tenderness. This dish was perfect for my Sunday state of mind.

An added incentive was that I had made some lamb stock from 5 pounds lamb bones a few days before, although chicken stock would have been delicious as well.

I sprinkled the necks with salt and pepper, then browned them in a film of oil.  I removed the lamb to a plate and added to the skillet 3 cups sliced onions, 6 whole garlic cloves, a few sprigs fresh thyme and rosemary, and a bay leaf. I let the onions cook until softened, about 10 minutes. I added 2 ½ cups lamb broth and ½ cup red wine, and let the liquid come to a boil. I then added back the necks, covered the skillet, and put it in a 325˚F oven for 2 ½ hours. After uncovering the skillet, I raised the heat to 500˚F for half an hour to brown the meat. By this time the necks had beautiful color and were perfectly tender. I removed the pan from the oven, removed the pieces to a plate, set the skillet on a burner, and raised the heat to high. I threw in a handful sliced celery and carrots, and simmered the broth uncovered for 10 minutes, until it was the thickness of gravy; I then returned the lamb to the skillet.

Ready to Eat

I served it accompanied by mashed yucca, Brussels sprouts and green beans. What a soothing and delicious meal for a lazy Sunday.

Braised lamb neck with mashed yucca, Brussels sprouts, and green beans

While I was braising the lamb, I also had a big pot of chicken stock bubbling on a back burner.

The next day I sautéed a large array of vegetables: onions, carrots. turnips, celery root, parsnips and sweet potatoes until softened. I skinned some chicken thighs and poached them gently in the stock until tender. I added the vegetables along with fresh ginger and dill to the soup and then seasoned it. Three quarts were packed off to a friend who, fresh from surgery, needed good nourishment.

A Healing Bowl of Chicken Soup

Chicken Soup
Monday, December 5, 2011

I’ve been under the weather for the past few days with a full blown cold. This is unusual for me since I rarely get sick. When I feel the slightest bit of an impending sniffle,  I have a coterie of preventative measures that I take, which usually work like a charm.  I jump on my cellercizer (urban rebounder) to clean out my lymphatic system, I down Immune Response to strengthen my immune system, and I make an effort to get extra rest.

This particular cold came on without much warning – it hit the throat first and then traveled to the lungs. I had a couple of energetic events to run, so there was no getting rest for a couple of days. Thus the full-blown cold landed Friday and ordered me to stop. It doesn’t make me feel better to know that colds are rampant this time of year, or that there is a particularly virulent strain going around. I am forced to finally and humbly surrender.

I’m actually enjoying the enforced solitude and relaxation. Since my taste buds are depressed with the congestion, all I really feel like ingesting is hot soup. A good bone broth is just the elixir to drive away a fierce bug. So while I have been convalescing, I took out the stock pot, opened the freezer, and took out a big pile of poultry bones. I put up the simplest of stocks – bones, water, a splash of vinegar to draw out the calcium, and a bay leaf. That’s about as much effort as I could muster, and it took all of five minutes. The pot held backbones and wings from two chickens I had recently butchered, a turkey carcass, and a bag of chicken feet. I let this stock simmer about 6 hours, then I strained it, cooled it, and refrigerated it overnight.

chicken stock with feet and bones

What made the stock especially gelatin rich was the bag of chicken feet I had purchased at the green market the other day.  Chicken feet are hard for a lot of us to get used to, as yes, they are kind of creepy and freaky-looking bobbing around in your stock. Get over being squeamish, and you have a flavorful calcium-rich stock that’s great for your bones. Look at how gelatinous (translate: wobbly) this stock is after cooling. All I did was scrape away the top layer of fat. This is nutrient-dense goodness.

For my soup today, I simmered a quart of the stock with some sliced shallots, some chopped ginger, and chopped lemongrass for about 15 minutes. I strained the stock, then added some coconut milk, boneless chicken breast cubes, and a small handful kaffir lime leaves that I had frozen. When the chicken was cooked after five minutes, I added a handful of Swiss chard, a splash of Thai fish sauce, couple of tablespoons lime juice, and a pinch salt. In my soup bowl I sprinkled chopped jalapeños and cilantro.

Thai Chicken Soup with Swiss Chard

The soup was delicious, and I’m feeling a lot better already.

Wednesday Night Thanksgiving
Saturday, November 26, 2011

Even though the family was going out for the Thursday Thanksgiving meal, I still felt that yearly drive to make a whole turkey with lots of sides. It’s not important to me exactly which day I cook, as long as it’s around the holiday.

The local farmer from the food club that I belong to had beautiful pasture-raised turkeys, so a friend and I decided to cook Wednesday, and have a mini celebration one day before the holiday. We split all the dishes we made – she had enough for her family the next day, and we had enough for  one full meal of leftovers, which my husband and I enjoyed for lunch today.

I had picked what vegetables looked good at the greenmarket, and we improvised a bunch of easy-to-make sides to go along with our beautiful turkey.

Our turkey was small, about 10 pounds, perfect for about ten people. Tuesday night I chopped a couple tablespoons sage and mixed it with about a tablespoon of salt. I butterflied the turkey (I set aside the backbone along with the neck for stock), and slipped the sage-salt mixture under the skin. I sprinkled salt and pepper over the outside. I set the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan breast-side-down overnight. I took the bird out of the refrigerator an hour before baking and brushed the back with olive oil and added a couple cups water to the roasting pan. I roasted it at 350 for about an hour, then flipped the bird using wadded up aluminum foil, and cooked the bird another ½ hour. I  then brushed it with cranberry glaze (made from 1 cup of cranberries cooked with ½ cup maple syrup and ¼ cup rice syrup until the cranberries burst.The mix was then strained.) I returned the turkey to the oven for 10 minutes, then added more glaze and roasted it another 15 to 20 minutes, until the temperature of the thigh was about 180˚F. I added water to the bottom a couple of times to keep the juiced from burning. The result: a beautiful deep red turkey – juicy and flavorful.

Butterflied Cranberry-Glazed Turkey

Gravy: I deglazed the pan with turkey stock (the neck and backbone I cooked in about 4 cups water for an hour while the turkey was roasting.) with about ½ cup of red wine. I made a roux of 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons flour cooked until light brown. I added the liquid and cooked it until thickened. The gravy was delicious – a deep red brown with hints of cranberry flavor.

Cranberry sauce: I simmered 2 cups cranberries with the juice of one orange and 1/3 cup maple sugar. I added a splash brown rice vinegar and a teaspoon fresh thyme.

Cranberry Sauce, Gravy, Sweet Potato Purée, etc.

I baked sweet potatoes (3 cups flesh),  scooped them out and added a jar (1 ½ cups) chestnuts, ¼ cup butter, 1 tablespoon brandy, splash roasted vegetable stock to thin, salt, butter, and sprinkle of nutmeg, and puréed the whole lot.

I roasted Brussels sprouts with extra virgin olive oil and salt for twenty minutes at 375˚F. I added a couple tablespoons butter with a small scoop mustard and about a cup roasted vegetable stock to a skillet. The mix was cooked until it reduced to a glaze, then the Brussels sprouts were stirred in.

Glazed Brussels Sprouts

Beets: Beets were roasted in the oven for about 2 hours, then mixed with thinly sliced Asian pears, thinly sliced radishes, 1 teaspoon ground star anise and 1 teaspoon coriander warmed with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar, salt and black pepper.

Beet, Asian Pear, and Radish Salad

Delicata squash: Half rings were roasted with extra virgin olive oil and salt at 375˚F, then drizzled with pumpkin seed oil, lime juice, cayenne, and crushed pumpkin seeds.

Roasted Delicata Squash

It was loads of fun – and good therapy too – hanging with a friend and cooking the day away.   You don’t have to have a huge gathering to enjoy a delicious feast!

Casual Meal

The Plated Meal

Fast but Unhurried
Tuesday, September 6, 2011

I was leaving on a vacation last Thursday, so I wanted to make use of the beautiful vegetables that I had acquired on a pre-hurricane buying frenzy. My only new  purchase at Union Square greenmarket Wednesday was a Cornish hen sized perfectly for two. Ben, the proprietor of Garden of Spices, has the tastiest pastured hens I’ve ever come across.

I had a few baby artichokes as well as some yellow and orange carrots, zucchini,  onions, and fresh thyme left over that I didn’t want to spoil. My meal thus had a focus.

The Ingredients

I peeled and cut the carrots on a diagonal, sliced the onions along the grow lines, and cut the zucchini into slim diagonal slices.

I tossed the vegetables with coconut oil and salt, and placed them in a 400˚F oven to roast.

Sliced Vegetable Ready to Roast

Twenty minutes later they came out beautifully cooked.

Roasted Carrots, Zucchini, and Onions

Meanwhile, while the vegetables were roasting, I prepped the hen. I cut out the backbone, opened up the bird (in other words I butterflied it), slipped some thyme and salt under the skin, sprinkled the top with black pepper, and brushed the skin with extra virgin olive oil.

Dressed Cornish Hen

I seared the bird over medium-high heat face down in a cast iron skillet, weighted the top with another skillet, and placed a teapot on top to make sure the hen was pressed against the skillet. Get creative here. You need to weight that bird so that the maximum surface area touches the skillet.  This way the bird can brown evenly.

Weight the Bird

Once the skin side was browned – after about 10 minutes – I flipped the bird and placed it in the oven to finish cooking.

Ready to be Finished in the Oven

1o minutes later the bird was cooked to perfection – only  20 minutes total from start to finish.

Lastly, I started on the artichokes. I prefer baby artichokes to the larger ones most of the time (with notable exceptions, of course) since there’s no hairy chokes to remove.

Here’s a step by step method of how to prep a baby artichoke:

Have ready a bowl of acidulated water (that’s water with a lemon squeezed into it) for the prepped artichokes, to keep them from discoloring. First, peel the layers of leaves off one by one until you strip the vegetables down to where  yellow-green leaves cover the artichoke (except for the tip).

Yellow-Green Tender Leaves

Use a Y-shaped (the wide kind) peeler to peel off the tough green part around the base as well as the layer covering the stem. Cut off the tip. (A serrated knife works well for this.)

Trimmed Baby Artichoke

Slice the artichokes in half and place them in the water as you finished prepping each one.

No Choke in These Babies

I prepped six artichokes for the two of us.  I then sliced the halves into several pieces, and placed them in a skillet with a dash of water, olive oil, salt, lemon slices, and thyme branches. I covered the skillet and steamed them for about five minutes, then uncovered the pan and cooked them a few minutes more. I then tossed in a few sliced kalamata olives.

Finished Artichokes

Here’s the completed dinner. It looks fancy, and you could serve it to guests. It really was quick and easy, however. Good thing – I had a lot to do before the trip.

Dinner on the Plate

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