Cooking up the Harvest - Crab Cakes and Sauteed Spicy Asparagus

I made this a while ago but never had a chance to blog about it.  One of my favorite things in the world is homemade lump crab cakes.  I've been making this recipe from Cooking Light magazine for years now and it's still one of my favorites - simple and delicious.  To get the biggest lumps of crab for this recipe, I usually buy whole dungeness crabs from the market and shell them myself.

On this particular occasion, I made a simple salad with some homegrown mizuna and some spicy sauteed asparagus (also homegrown).  To make the asparagus, brown a couple tablespoons of butter in a shallow pan on high heat.  Add the asparagus and toss.  Add some soy sauce and continue to saute for a couple of minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the soy sauce appears somewhat caramelized.  At the very end, add a fair amount a fine chili paste and cook for a few more seconds.  This is my favorite way to prepare Asparagus and green beans (especially when I'm feeling lazy).

Last Harvest of the Year - Citrus

I actually had a harvest this past week - five good sized Meyer lemons and a few Indio mandarinquats. This was officially the last one of the year and will soon be turned into marmalade today. I use this recipe but substitute half of the sugar with honey, which makes all the difference. Honey and lemons are a match made in heaven if you ask me.

In the Kitchen - Vietnamese Red Cabbage Salad Recipe

It's been a while since I've posted an traditional Asian recipe. I was looking through my photos and realized that I had quite a few to post. At the moment, I'm addicted to this salad. Especially during this time of year, when every holiday dish seems to call for butter and cream, it's nice to have a meal that's light yet satisfying.

I have memories of eating this Vietnamese red cabbage salad when I was a child. It was often served during the holidays and at our Sunday family gatherings. Having not had it in years, I'd almost forgotten how good it is.

I'm not fan of the coleslaw at all and the copious amount of mayonnaise that's often involved. With a ton of herbs and little to no oil, this salad is at the opposite end of the spectrum.

Vietnamese Red Cabbage Salad Recipe
(about 4 servings)

Salad Ingredients:
16 medium raw shrimp
1 pound of red cabbage, sliced thin (about half of a large head)
1 large carrot, finely julienned
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped mint
2 tablespoons freshly toasted peanuts, finely chopped

Dressing:

1 clove garlic, minced
1 fresh cayenne chili, finely chopped
1 fresh bird's eye chili, finely chopped
6 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar (or plain white vinegar)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the dressing and stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

Boil the shrimp in water for about 2 minutes or until they are pink and just cooked through. Drain and run them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Once cool to the touch, peel and slice each of them lengthwise.

Place the shrimp in a large bowl. Add the salad ingredients except for the peanuts and toss to combine.

Ten minutes before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly. Let it sit for 10 - 15 minutes in the fridge. The cabbage will soften and wilt slightly during this period. Give it one final toss before serving. Garnish with the peanuts.

Tips and Variations:
The brand of fish sauce I prefer is called 'Three Crabs', which you can find at most Asian markets. Or you can use light soy sauce in place of the fish sauce and add 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil. I usually toast my peanuts in a toaster oven. Or you can toast them in a pan on medium heat until they are brown. You can omit the shrimp entirely or substitute one large boneless skinless chicken breast, poached and shredded. This salad (sans shrimp) also goes well with grilled meat or seafood. You can also use green cabbage and 1/4 cup of thinly sliced red onion in place of the red cabbage and scallions. I thinly slice the cabbage and julienne the carrot using a Japanese mandoline. Adding some Thai basil to this salad would be delicious as well.

In the Kitchen - Rustic Pear Tart

Last week, I made several desserts for our Thanksgiving dinner, including a pineapple upside down cake, my autumn fruit pie and a cherry pie made from sour cherries that I'd purchased back in July and froze specifically for this occasion. After assembling the pies and trimming the edges, I had enough dough left over for a 9 inch tart shell. This past weekend, I decided to make a rustic tart using some ripe Bartlett pears.


I love making these 'free-formed' or rustic-looking fruit tarts because 1) they take much less time to prepare than your average pie 2) they usually don't require as much sugar as your average fruit pie recipe and 3) you can get pretty creative with the filling. I started by pealing, halving and coring my four pears and rolling my dough into a round 13 - 14 in diameter. I laid 7 of the halves into a circular pattern on top of the round. I then cut the last half into 1/2 inch cubes and added them to the center of the pear halves. I also had a red plum lying around so I decided to cut it into thin slices and arrange them on top the pear cubes.

On top of the pears, I sprinkled some ground ginger, cinnamon and the tiniest bit of clove. I then drizzled about a tablespoon of honey and two tablespoons of light brown sugar. After folding the edges up, I brushed the dough with some egg and sprinkled some raw sugar on it. The tart went into a preheated 425 degree F oven for about 15 minutes and then continued to bake at 375 for another 30-40 minutes.

When the tart is still warm, I like to glaze the fruit with some preserves (in this case, Meyer lemon marmalade) before serving. In the end, this was probably one of the tastiest improvised desserts I've made in a long time.

End of November Harvest

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! In many ways, I consider it be as close as you can to a farmer's holiday, which is probably why it's my favorite.

I've been amazed by how mild the weather has been lately. And according to the forecast, it should stay this way for at least the next 10 days. Things tend to deteriorate fast when nighttime lows reach down into the mid-20's. Thankfully, we haven't experienced that yet. Today I harvested more Tatsoi from the garden. Tatsoi is an extremely hardy Asian green, which is why it's usually one of the last things to be harvested from the garden this time of year. I had these growing under fabric row cover and was glad to see that they had formed into beautiful rosettes. My spring sown Tatsoi tends to bolt before they get this big but there's no risk of that this time of year.


I also picked some kale to go into the annual turkey noodle soup, made of course from the carcass of this year's bird. That might sound rather unappetizing to my vegetarian friends out there but I look forward to it every year. If anything, it's a great lesson on frugality.


This year's soup turned out REALLY good. I used carrots, celery, leeks, kale, poblano peppers and herbs from the garden. It's a bit late but for anyone interested, you can read more about how I prepare mine here. The veggies always change but the rest remains the same.

In the Kitchen - Stir-fried Chicken with Mixed Vegetables and Thai Basil

Need to find new ways to prepare your fall greens? Try this stir-fry recipe. It's one of our favorites and never fails to satisfy. I love to serve it on top of sushi rice as the sauce coats the individual grains to add a certain level of creaminess with each bite.

Stir-fried Chicken with Mixed Vegetables and Thai Basil

Chicken and Marinade
1 boneless and skinless chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

Sauce
3 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
pinch of sugar

5 cups sliced mixed vegetables
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 tablespoon canola oil
12 whole Thai basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (optional)

Thickener
1 tablespoon chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch


Cut the chicken breast against the grain into thin slices. Add the marinade ingredients and stir until the chicken is evenly coated. Set aside.

In a small bowl, add the sauce ingredients and stir until the mixture is smooth. In a separate small bowl, combine the tablespoon of chicken broth and teaspoon of cornstarch. Set both aside.

Heat a large wok or skillet on high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact with the cooking surface. Swirl 2 tablespoons of canola oil into wok (it will smoke) and add the chicken. Using a spatula, spread the chicken evenly into single layer. Allow the chicken to sear undisturbed for 1 minute. Then move the chicken around and stir-fry for another minute or until it is cooked through but still tender. Transfer to a small plate and set aside.

Swirl the remaining tablespoon of canola oil into the wok and add the minced garlic and ginger. Stir for about 5 - 10 seconds or until fragrant and slightly browned. Add your sliced vegetables (and dried red pepper flakes if using) and stir-fry for 1 - 2 minutes (depending on what veggies you use). Pour the sauce into the wok and toss the veggies to combine. Stir-fry for another minute or until the sauce boils vigorously.

At this point, move the veggies away from the center of the wok. Using a small spoon, mix together the 1 tablespoon of chicken broth and cornstarch and then pour it into the sauce. Stir the sauce. As it returns to a boil, it will thicken. Add the chicken back into the wok along with the Thai basil and and stir-fry for another minute until everything is well combined. Serve immediately.

Helpful tips - The key to a good stir-fry is to make sure that your wok or skillet is hot enough. Your veggies should cook quickly and on high or medium-high heat. I'm pretty flexible when it comes to what types of veggies to use in this recipe. However, I always try to add half of a red pepper into the mix as the dish just isn't the same without it. Also, be sure to use vegetables that contain varying degrees of moisture. For instance, if you use only bok choy in this dish, which has a high water content, you will end up with a thinner and less flavorful sauce. Broccoli, green beans, asparagus, carrots and/or peppers work well in combination with Asian greens, cabbage and/or mushrooms. Finally, allowing the meat to sear undisturbed not only ups the flavor of the stir-fry but also prevents it from sticking to the wok.

In the Kitchen - HOMEMADE BUTTER

A few months ago, I saw a rather disturbing video evidencing the cruel treatment of dairy cows at an industrial farm located west of us in New York. It was upsetting to think that in all probability we've consumed foods derived from the milk produced at this farm. For a long time, I couldn't get the awful images out of my head and was hesitant to blog about it until now. I'd seen videos like this before but was never personally driven to the point where I felt like we needed to make some difficult changes to our buying/eating habits. It's human nature to want to ignore the reality of things when something as important as "convenience" is on the line. I get a headache just thinking about all of the packaged foods we'd have to give up if we were to swear off industrial dairy completely.


I don't think we'll ever be able to cut it completely from our lives, but at this point, I'm determined to make some slow/real/significant changes to our industrial dairy consumption. We now try to buy all of our milk and half and half from Shaw Farm, a local dairy that offers weekly tours of its facilities to the public. Their milk is excellent and only slightly more expensive than the generic supermarket brand. As an added bonus, most of their products are still sold in heavy returnable glass quarts so we're also lessening our plastic consumption. If for some reason we're unable to buy their milk on a given day, then our back up plan is to buy organic at the supermarket. For me, local usually trumps organic, but the brand we buy is 'Horizon' in case anyone has any information on this company that we should consider.

Deciding to buy local milk was the easy part. The hard part is trying to replace all of the other dairy products we consume on a regular basis like butter, cheese and yoghurt. This means either making our own from the local milk and cream we buy or paying huge premium for an organic or artisan brand. Personally, I'm more interested in the former.


My first goal was to start making our own butter and from the taste alone, I'm determined to stick to this plan. If you've never made butter before, you'd be surprised by how easy it is. Essentially you whisk the cream beyond the point of being whipped until the butterfat begins to separate from the buttermilk.


If I was a proper milkmaid, I'd invest in traditional butter churner. But alas, I've opted for a more practical approach and use an electric hand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment. A few minutes into the process, just when you think the cream will never turn, the soft peaks slowly subside and you start to see small butterfat granules form.


Eventually, the butterfat accumulates to form a large mass and complete separation from the buttermilk is achieved.


The next step is to pour off most of the buttermilk, transfer the mass to a muslin or cheese cloth lined strainer and squeeze the remaining liquid from the butter. At this point, some instructions will tell you to gently pour cold water over the butter until it runs clear, followed by another squeeze. I've skipped this step when making sweet cream butter and in my experience it doesn't seem to have a noticeable affect on the taste or shelf life of the butter.


From one quart of heavy cream, you get about a pound of butter and a pint of buttermilk.


Place the butter into the fridge for about 15 - 30 minutes to allow it to stiffen up a bit. Afterwards, transfer it to a large shallow bowl and sprinkle 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt on top (if making salted butter). Smear the butter to incorporate the salt and pour off any additional liquid that is released.


Spoon the soft butter onto a piece of parchment paper and fold the sides to form a thick square block. I usually let the flavors in the butter develop overnight in the fridge before using it.

So far, I've only made sweet cream butter but am excited to try my hand at tangy cultured butter. The only difference is that you let the cream sit and sour a bit at room temperature for six hours before you whisk/churn it.

Hopefully, this is another small step in the direction of eating more humanely. If you have any additional butter making advice you'd like to share, please do! Also, what do you think? Can something as simple as buying local milk and making your own butter really make a difference?

In the Kitchen - Wild Mushroom Soup

I was so excited about our wild mushroom walk that I went home and made a wild mushroom soup (from fungi purchased at the market of course). I didn't use a specific recipe but was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it turned out nonetheless. Unlike other dishes, I rarely follow recipes when it comes to making soups because the way I see it, as long as you use enough flavor components, chances are the end result will be tasty no matter what you decide to throw into the pot. In fact I like to imagine that the first soups were invented so that the farmer could stretch and use up whatever leftover food was lying around. How else to explain the fact that you can name almost any ingredient - say cabbage, for instance - and find a soup recipe calling for it.

On this occasion I decided to use fresh shitake, oyster and button mushrooms and dried porcini and wood ear mushrooms. I soaked the dried mushrooms in some warm water, and then when they were plump, strained the flavorful liquid through a coffee filter. I began by sauteing a good amount of chopped onions, shallots, garlic and thyme in some olive oil. Then I added all of the mushrooms, which I had sliced. As they released their liquid, I deglazed the pan with some dry white wine and then added several cups of chicken stock. In a separate pan, I made a light brown rue using equal parts flour and homemade butter, into which I vigorously whisked in some chicken stock and the reversed mushroom liquid until I had something that resembled a thick gravy. This was then added to the soup, stirring as you do so. (Incorporating the rue in this way helps to prevent lumps.)

I let the soup simmer for about a half hour and then seasoned it with some salt, pepper and sugar. Sugar, like salt, is a great flavor enhancer. Adding a teaspoon or two into the pot greatly enhances an otherwise "flat" tasting soup broth. Finally, I finished the soup with a bit of local cream before serving.

This soup was deliciously earthy and really satisfied this mushroom lover.

Fresh Fruit Tart - A Work in Progress

For the past month or so, I've been spending a lot of time at Border's bookstore. It's always upsetting to see an iconic company go out of business, but when it comes to books, the scavenger in me can't help but to look for some good deals. I've purchase a huge stack of books during the past couple of weeks, most having to do with gardening, farming or food. I was really excited to try this fresh fruit tart recipe from a beautifully photographed French cookbook that I had snagged at a discount.

Unfortunately, looks can be deceiving as the recipe for this tart resulted in a creme en glaze filling and crust that were rather disappointing all around. And now the hard part begins. As I'm sure many of you can relate, I find that I end up tweaking about 95% of the recipes that I come across. When you think about it, aren't all good recipes just mediocre ones that have been reworked?

This is one the things I find most exciting about cooking, which I tend to view as an evolutionary process. I would love to write a cookbook that traces how some of the most famous dishes in the world have evolved through the ages. I'm sure the vanilla ice cream recipes circulating today vary greatly from the ones printed a century ago.

In any case, if you have killer fresh fruit tart that you would like to share with the rest of us, please do!

In the Kitchen - Naan Bread Recipe

It's been while since I've posted a bread recipe. I love this one because you can start it at 9 am, let the dough rise for a couple of hours and have warm naan bread ready by lunchtime - perfect for a flat bread style sandwich or for dipping into a hot bowl of soup. You can also allow the dough to rest for a longer period if you aren't able to bake it straight away.

Naan Bread Recipe
3 cups bread flour
1 1/3 cups tepid water (80 - 90 degrees F)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

Stand-mixer directions:
Pour the water into the bowl of an electric strand-mixer fitted with a dough hook and add the yeast. Stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve the yeast. Mix together the salt and flour in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the water and begin mixing on low until the dough begins to gather around the dough hook. Turn up the speed to medium and continue kneading the dough for 5 minutes or until it is smooth and taut.

Hand-kneading directions:
Pour the water into a large bowl and add the yeast. Stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve the yeast. Mix together the salt and flour in a medium bowl. Begin by adding 1 1/2 cups of the flour mixture to the water. Stir this in the same direction for a couple of minutes to begin developing the gluten. Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, continuing to stir until the dough becomes too stiff to work with the spoon. Fold the dough a few times with your hand to incorporate the remaining flour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it vigorously for 10 minutes. Dust with more flour if necessary. At the end of the 10 minutes, the dough should be smooth and taut.


Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for at least 2 hours. It should double in volume by the end of this period. (You can also allow the dough to rise slowly overnight in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before moving forward.)


Melt the butter in a small pan on medium-low heat. Add the garlic and swirl it around as it sizzles for about 20 - 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside. (I don't bother to clarify my melted butter but you can if you like.)

Gas stove top directions:
Unless you have a tandoor, I would recommend this method. What it lacks in "authenticity" it more than makes up for in convenience. Heat a covered cast iron pan on medium heat on top of your gas stove. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it onto your lightly floured work surface. Cut a 4 ounce piece of dough from the ball. Using your hands, pull and flatten it into a disk about 7 inches in diameter (like you would a pizza dough). Don't worry if the disk isn't perfectly round or uniform in thickness. These variables will give the finished bread its rustic look and contrasting textures. Dip your fingers into a bowl of cool water and press them into the dough, creating dimples throughout the surface of the disk. Don't worry about getting the top too wet. (In fact, you want it be fairly wet as this helps to give the finished bread it's classic chewy texture.) Cut another piece of dough from the ball and repeat this process.


Once the first round has rested for a few minutes, remove the lid and gently place the dough into the heated pan dimple side up. Replace the lid and let the bread bake for about 4 minutes or until the top looks puffed and somewhat translucent. As the bread is baking, re-dust your work surface with flour and work on your third round of dough. When it is done, remove the bread with a pair of tongs and place the second round into the pan to bake. (If the bottom of the bread looks too brown or scorched, lower the heat a bit.)


Light another burner to its medium setting and place the first round top-side down directly onto the burner. Using your tongs, move the bread around to evenly char the top. (This should only take a few seconds.) Place the finished bread onto a plate and lightly brush the top with some melted butter. Work on your next round of dough. Repeat this process for the remainder of the dough.

Oven Directions:
Position a baking stone onto the center of the oven and preheat it to 500 degrees F. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on your lightly floured work surface. Cut it into 2 pieces. Pull and press the first piece into a rather large and thin (1/4 - 3/8 inch thickness) oblong shape. Again, don't worry if the thickness of the disk is not uniform or tears in some places. Dip your figures into a bowl of cool water and press them down into the surface of the dough, creating wet dimples throughout. Let the dough rest for a few minutes. Then carefully place the dough onto the baking stone and bake for 5 minutes or until the bread looks puffed and lightly browned on top. While the first loaf is baking, work on the second piece of dough. Brush the finished bread with melted butter.


I generally use the stove top method when making this bread. Once you get into a rhythm, the steps become pretty straight forward. Recently I made a batch to accompany a beef and sweet potato curry. This is definitely one of my favorite breads to dip with. This bread is best when served immediately after baking. However, it is also great toasted the next day.

Please note: Some regions of the world make naan bread with milk and yoghurt, which I've read adds thickness and volume to the finished bread. Others do not. I might experiment with this recipe though and incorporate these ingredients for fun. It will be interesting to see how it affects the end result.

Tropical Storm Sunday

It's been raining for most of the morning, but boy, the winds are really starting to pick up now. I don't remember the last time the Northeast was under the direct path of a hurricane or tropical storm. It will be interesting to see how the garden holds up. I have a feeling my giant purple sprouting broccoli will be horizontal by the end of today. We don't expect too much damage in our area but I'm hoping that we won't lose electricity.


Whenever we're confronted with a major weather event, whether it be a winter blizzard or a summer thunderstorm, I always get the tremendous urge to make soup. This time around, I made two kinds - a tomato soup for Marc (using our homegrown heirloom tomatoes, celery, onions and carrots)...


...and a yummy sausage and lentil soup for me. I also made some garlic naan bread to go with our satisfying lunch (the recipe for which I'll post later this week).

In the Kitchen - Fresh Cherry Pie Recipe

Usually for a couple of weeks around this time every year, we see fresh sour cherries for sale at the local market. I always make a point to buy some in order to make a cherry pie, which is undoubtedly one of our favorites. Part of what makes this pie so special is that in all likelihood, we'll only be able to have it once or twice a year as the season for fresh sour cherries is relatively short. Maybe one day when we purchase the homestead of my dreams, I will plant enough sour cherry trees to fill a chest freezer with enough fruit to satisfy our pie cravings year around. Until then, we'll just have to savor this rare treat.


I've used the same pie crust recipe for years. It always gets rave reviews from our guests and never fails to bake up nicely. Once in a while, I will try out a new recipe but in the end, I always return to this one, which you can find here.

For the filling, I mix together 5 - 6 cups of fresh pitted sour cherries, 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon of sugar, 3 tablespoons of tapioca starch (or quick-cooking tapioca pearls), 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and sometimes 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract. This should be enough to fill a 9-inch deep dish pie pan.

After assembling the pie, I usually brush the crust with some beaten egg and sprinkle raw sugar on top. Then the pie goes into a 350 degree F oven for about 1 hour and 15 - 25 minutes.

Pickles, Pineapple and Fried Rice?

So what do you when it's 10 PM, your husband and son are away for the night and you have the whole house to yourself? Well if you're me, you bake a pineapple upside down cake, binge on leftover Chinese food and can a dozen jars of pickles. You could say that I know how to have a good time. Either that or I have a big L on my forehead.


This was my first attempt at canning pickles. I have to admit, it was actually pretty fun and not too labor intensive. If I was a rapper, I'd call myself 'Pickle Daddy Diddy'.

Ok, I'm getting a little delirious. Off to bed!

A Fabulous Fall Meal (In July) - A Recipe for Duck Confit

On Sunday, we had one of the best home cooked meals we've eaten in a long time. Oddly enough, it was the type of meal I would enjoy in October or November, when the fall garden is in full swing, the air is crisp and the colors of the leaves mirror the colors on your dinner plate. Lucky for us, we received a culinary preview of what to expect later on this year.

A few days ago, I decided to try my hand at making duck confit. For those of you who've never had it or who might think to yourself, "I don't like duck", this is one of those dishes that rises to the level of divinity or magic when prepared properly. Something as perfect as duck confit also supports my belief that the greatest culinary creations in this world have their humble origins on the farm. In this case, I can imagine a farmer realizing that he can preserve the annual blood harvest by preserving the meat in some kind of fat. With the addition of herbs and spices, what was born out of necessity ultimately developed into something to be savored. After all, 'confit' describes food that has been immersed in a substance not only for preservation, but also for flavor.


To accompany the duck, I sauteed the Dragon's Tongue beans and Napoli carrots I'd harvested from the garden with garlic, butter and a slash of water. Sprinkle in some sea salt and pepper at the end and you're all set. The Dragon's Tongue beans lose their purple streaks when cooked but retain their snap and sweetness.


I also made a gratin from the Yukon Gold potatoes I'd harvested that morning. Here's the recipe in a nutshell:

Yukon Gold Potato and Mushroom Gratin

Use a mandoline or knife to cut 2 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes into ultra-thin slices. In a small pan, saute 8 ounces of thinly sliced mushrooms with 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 minced clove of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme and a pinch of salt for a few minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. In a measuring cup, mix 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg with 1 cup of heavy cream.

In a 9 inch deep-dish pie pan or an 8 x 8 inch casserole dish, lay down a third of the sliced potatoes into a neat pattern. Sprinkle some sea salt and pepper and spread half of the mushroom mixture on top. Repeat this process for the second layer and then cap off with the remaining potatoes. Season the top with salt, pepper and thyme. Slowly pour in the heavy cream mixture and press down with the back of a wooden spoon to distribute the cream. Add additional cream if needed until there's enough liquid to reach the top edge of the potatoes.

Bake covered with vented foil for 1 hour at 400 degrees F and then uncovered for an additional 20-30 minutes or until the top has browned. You can also broil the top for a minute or two to help brown it further.


While it does take a couple of days to marinate, the process for making duck confit isn't that complicated. You may notice that some of the techniques and ingredients used in the following recipe deviate from more traditional ones. I've opted for a simpler approach but can assure you that the results are spectacular in their own right.

Simple Crispy Duck Confit with Glazed Cranberries

6 duck legs, rinsed and dried
1 large white onion, halved then cut into thin slices
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 sprigs of rosemary ( 4-5 in long), cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons dried juniper berries
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
olive oil (not extra-virgin)

If you have enough duck fat lying around to use in place of the oil, well then by all means. Otherwise, the olive oil will suffice.

With a mortar and pestle (or the back of large cleaver) bruise the juniper berries. In a medium casserole dish, spread the onions evenly. Sprinkle half of the juniper berries, peppercorns and rosemary. Then place the duck legs on top, skin side down. Coat the top of the legs with 1 tablespoon of the salt, using your fingers to spread it evenly. Flip the legs and do the same to the other side with the remaining salt. Sprinkle the remaining juniper berries, peppercorns and rosemary. Cover the casserole dish tightly with plastic (pressing down with your hands) and allow the duck legs to marinate in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours.

After this resting period, remove the duck legs and set them aside for the time being. Pour the onions and spices into a large pot and spread evenly. Arrange the legs on top. Now pour in enough olive oil to barely cover the legs. Heat the pot over low heat on the stove top until the oil temperature reaches 180 - 190 degrees F. The oil will expand in the process. Add more oil if needed to ensure that all of the legs are covered. The goal is maintain the oil within this temperature range so test periodically with a cooking thermometer. (The oil should bubble gently.) Partially cover the pot and cook the legs for about 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender ( or just before it starts to fall off the bone).

At this point, you can allow the legs to cool down slowly at room temperature or place the pot in a water bath to cool it down rapidly. The pot then goes into the fridge overnight to further cool down and firm up the legs (If you try to handle the legs when they hot, they may break apart.)

The next day you can choose to serve the legs or prepare them for longer storage. The olive oil will have thickened overnight but should still be pourable. You can keep the legs stored in the pot, but this may take up too much room in the fridge. Alternatively you can transfer the legs and oil to a smaller container, taking care that the legs remain submerged. After transferring the legs and oil, you will notice that a lower layer of gelatin and onions remain in the pot. Heat this layer to melt it and then strain the liquid. You can store this concentrated duck stock in the freezer and use it to make a fine sauce for your duck confit.

To serve the legs, remove them from the fat and place them on a shallow roasting pan. Position a rack two thirds of the way up the oven. Place the roasting pan on the rack and broil the legs (skin side up) at 450 degrees F until the remaining fat has rendered and the skin is brown and crisp. This should take about 15 minutes. (Lower the temperature if the skin begins to burn.) You can either serve the legs whole or separate the meat from the bone with a fork before serving.

Duck confit pairs will with dark fruit. For last Sunday's meal, I made some glazed cranberries to accompany it - Melt a tablespoon of butter in a small pan. Add 1/3 cup of sweetened dried cranberries, 1 cup of cranberry juice and a few tablespoons of your favorite liquor (brandy, bourbon, etc.) Cook on medium-low heat until the liquid becomes syrupy and the cranberries are plump and shiny.

One important thing to note - the duck fat/olive oil can be reused 6 - 8 times. Keep it stored in the fridge.

Lastly, I'd like to thank my friend Phil for his expert advice on this classic dish!

Tasty Tidbit - Char-Grilled Fava Beans

This has to be my favorite way of eating Fava beans. In a large bowl, toss the pods in a bit of olive oil, fresh cracked pepper and coarse salt. Grill covered for 5 - 8 minutes on medium heat until the pods are nicely charred and the beans inside are tender. As you peel the hot skins, your fingers pick up bits of salt and tons of flavor as you pop the smokey...nutty...buttery beans into your mouth. It's finger licking great!

In the Kitchen - Simple Refrigerater Dill Pickle Recipe

Last year I wasted a lot of cucumbers trying to come up with a dill pickle recipe that we liked. I tried several online recipes and none of them suited our taste. By far the WORST batch resulted from my using McCormick's pickling spice mix, which was a complete lapse in judgment on my part. (I get the dry heaves just thinking about that one.) In the end, I realised that when it comes to pickling, less is definitely more. It also helps to use the right kind of cucumber. This year I'm growing an pickling cucumber variety called 'Diamant' and I couldn't be happier with it.

The brine recipe that I've come up with is pretty straight forward and only requires a handful of ingredients. For those of you who might be interested, here it is:

Refrigerator Dill Pickle Brine Recipe

2 cups cold filtered water
1 cup of distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar

a handful of dill sprigs (I like to use the flowers and stems as well)
2 - 3 cloves garlic cut in half
1/2 teaspoon of dried yellow mustard seeds

I'll adjust the measurements slightly depending upon my mood. Sometimes I'll up the vinegar by 1/4 cup if I want a more sour pickle or use an additional teaspoon of kosher salt if I want a saltier one. For some added heat, dried red pepper flakes would work.

This brine recipe is easily doubled or halved. I usually adjust the amount of spices based on the size of the jar I'm using and my best guess as to how much liquid I'll need. Always, I try to pack the jar as tightly as I can and pour in enough brine to reach the rim.

Earlier this week, I pickled some sliced Hungarian Wax peppers with my cukes and boy was the end result deliciously hot! Last night I made a mild batch with some sliced carrots - delicious as well. Lastly, these crispy pickles are usually ready after 24 - 36 hours in the fridge but are best after 2 - 3 days.

In the Kitchen - Wild Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

It's been a while since I've posted a recipe on here. This one is definitely worth sharing. I partially based it on Joanne Chang's recipe for classic currant scones. I hope you like it!

Wild Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

2 3/4 c (385 g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t kosher salt
1/2 c (70 g) granulated sugar
1/2 c (1 stick, 114 g) cold unsalted butter cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2/3 c frozen wild blueberries
1/2 c (120 g) cold nonfat buttermilk
1/2 c (120 g) cold heavy cream
1 cold egg

Lemon Glaze

1 c (140 g) confectioners' sugar
1/2 t fresh lemon zest
2 to 3 T of fresh lemon juice

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt and 1/2 cup of sugar until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Add the butter and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds or until the butter is somewhat broken down but still visible.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, heavy cream and egg.

4. Add the frozen blueberries to the flour-butter mixture and beat on low for a few seconds until they are distributed. Then pour in the buttermilk mixture and continue to beat on low for 20 - 30 seconds or just until the dough comes together.

5. Dump the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and pat it down into an 8 inch circle about 1 inch thick. Use a knife to cut the circle into 8 wedges but leave the round intact.

6. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the circle is golden. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes.

7. Whisk the confectioner's sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice together until smooth.

8. Cut the scones into the pre-scored wedges and drizzle the lemon glaze on top. I like to eat the scones while they are still warm but if you wait until they have completely cooled before applying the glaze, it will harden into a sweet lemony crust after a few minutes.

In the Kitchen - Classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I've been meaning to write this post for some time now. Better late than never I guess. A while back, I made Joanne Chang's recipe for pineapple upside down cake for the first time and boy, it is every bit as delicious as I had remembered. When she first opened her store Flour in Boston over a decade ago, a slice of this cake was one of the first things I had tried. It has been years since I have seen it on the menu so when her first cookbook was released last year, I was happy to find that she had included the recipe for this cake.


Marc and I are not huge cake eaters but this pineapple upside cake is our kryptonite. We can finish off an entire round in one sitting if we are not careful. The cake itself is perfectly eggy and not too dense or sweet. It also has the most delicious (almost cookie-like) crust at the bottom and around the edge and enough caramel fruit topping to satisfy serious pineapple lovers such as myself. I won't post the recipe here (I never like to do so without permission) but you can find it online if you do a simple search. Better yet, you can pick up a copy of her book, which has quickly become one of my favorite pastry books.

(And if any of you are wondering - No, I'm not being paid to write this! I just love me some pineapple upside down cake!)

In the Kitchen - Making Grilled Pizza

Ham and Pineapple Pizza

Now that the weather have warmed up a bit, we're able to do a lot more outdoor grilling these days - which means, it's grilled pizza time! Some of you may already know this but I'm a huge fan of using your outdoor grill as a pizza oven. If you don't own a wood-fired oven (which is probably 99.99% of us), you might find the grill to be a good substitute. I've baked many pizzas using a conventional oven and a baking stone and have never been able to get results that are nearly as good. With a conventional oven, you usually don't get that nice char at the bottom of the pizza and the pizza itself doesn't cook quickly enough, which often results in a crust that is soggy in the middle and rather dry around the edge.

Grilles Shrimp, Mushroom and Feta Pizza

One method I've read to improve the quality of your pizza by way of conventional oven is to heat a quarter inch steal plate (where you would get one, I don't know) near the top rack and cook your pizza for a couple of minutes on broil. The steal gets very hot in the heating process, which allows for the pizza to cook very quickly.

Maybe I'll try this method one day but for now, I'm perfectly content with using my gas grill. I place a pizza stone directly on the grill rack and heat it covered on high until the temperature gets to about 425 degrees F. In goes the pizza, which cooks for 4-5 minutes before it's done (turned halfway during the process). In my experience, results are best when the pizza cooks at a temperature of about 450 degrees F. Also, you end up with a browner and crispier outside crust if the diameter of the pizza is only slightly less than the diameter of the stone (allowing for more direct heat contact with the outside crust).

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Personally, I prefer a thinner crust pizza. Peter Reinhardt's pizza dough recipe is a great one. As far as toppings go, Marc loves Hawaiian pizza while I prefer something more exotic like shrimp and wild mushrooms. Jonathan likes everything from plain cheese or pepperoni to barbecue chicken. These days, everyone is happy.

In the Kitchen - Pepper Jack Cheese No Knead Bread

Some of you may know by now that I'm a "No Knead" bread (freak) enthusiast. For the past couple of months, we've been baking it religiously at least once or twice a week. I continue to be amazed by the awesomeness that is this bread. It's so easy to make that I don't even think about the process anymore.

You can find my slightly tweaked version of the classic recipe here. Honestly, why spend five bucks on a "fresh" loaf of bread at the supermarket when for the same price you can bake a half dozen of these beauties without even breaking a sweat.


Just to keep things interesting, lately I've been folding a few extra ingredients into the basic dough just before the final rise. Shredded cheddar cheese and chopped rosemary made for a interesting combination. Cubes of pepper jack cheese and a coating of sesame seeds turned out even better (our favorite combo thus far). Pulled flat and topped with some olive oil, chopped herbs and coarse sea salt, you even end up with a passable focaccia.


My favorite part - when you slice open this warm loaf, you get all of these big pockets of melted cheese. This stuffed bread stores well in the fridge and is also excellent toasted the next day.

So what's next for this versatile dough? Chopped dried figs and roasted pumpkin seeds perhaps?