VittlesVamp

Deviled Eggs Are My Culinary Kryptonite

A little over a year ago I wrote about fear of rice. Admittedly it's hard to get it right on the stovetop. From time to time I've mustered some small success with basmati rice. Even so, it took buying a rice cooker for rice to start making regular guest appearances at dinnertime.

Sadly, there is no device or advice that has yet to help me when it comes to another staple -- one that has proven to be a formidable frenemy. I'm talking about Satan's favorite high-cholesterol snack, the Deviled Egg.

Some downright gorgeous specimens from The Long Island Bar & Restaurant are pictured above. Delicious.

Would I like to replicate these beauties for a Southern-style dinner party opener (someday, when we can have dinner parties again)? Yes! But, alas, all my attempts at hard-boiling and peeling eggs has come up short. I am never able to peel away the shell clean. I am always ending up with whites with major pockmarks. Not a pretty sight. And Deviled Eggs must be pretty. That's in the Deviled Egg bylaws. It's pretty strict about the need for Deviled Eggs to be pretty.

I have tried many methods. All have failed. I have officially given up and I will leave the "Deviling" to those more capable. I think we'll all be better for it. I know the eggs will be better for it for sure.

The Picnic Approach

The kitchen still isn't done. Almost there. Not quite. Despite all that, currently back in my apartment.

What does that mean for food prep? Can't stock the fridge yet and my cooking equipment isn't on-hand, so meals are a bit of a "throw together" these days.

Poor me? Not really. I'm making it work. I'm going with a picnic approach to dining. Think a slice of pâté from Marlow & Daughters with some cornichons, a dab of Dijon, and good crackers. The vacuum-sealed Spanish charcuterie above were lovely with a wedge of lightly smoked Idiazábal cheese and a small baguette from Sullivan Street Bakery. Then again, Acme whitefish salad spooned onto slices of cucumbers was also quite satisfying. Mandarin oranges have been a go-to dessert, easy to peel and luscious to down.

Am I ready to start cooking and baking again?

Hell-to-the-yes! But, the picnic-ing phase of this renovation hasn't been all bad.

Missing My Kitchen

The kitchen renovation is in the homestretch. Or at least I hope it is.

The walls had accidentally been painted a dark shade of green - the color meant for the trim - but now they've been reprimed and repainted. The cabinetry has been delivered and partially assembled. After going through a monthlong frenzy of ordering sample tile for the backsplash, I finally settled on one and placed an order. It just arrived, as did the grout.

I never wanted to do this kitchen overhaul in the first place, but once the structural damage was uncovered there was no turning back. It's been a bit of a nerve-wracking enterprise, but I do recognize that I am very lucky. Needing to redo a kitchen in the middle of a pandemic is a hassle - but it is decidedly a first world problem.

Just keeping my fingers crossed that it turns out okay. Please let it turn out okay. Please let it turn out okay. Please let it turn out okay.

Maybe I should cross my eyes and toes for good measure.

Viral Recipes During The Pandemic? Irony Not Lost On Me

Yes, it has been about a year since everyone started making sourdough. I resisted that trend.

Still, ever once in a while I have succumbed to recipe mania. Seems like every few months a new "must-make-recipe" hits social media, as more and more people look for guidance in navigating meal prep during the pandemic.

First up was the Caramelized Shallot Pasta by Alison Roman that had everyone cooking down copious amounts of shallots with briny anchovies, tomato paste, and more. I heard about people making jar after jar of it to put on top of everything from fish to eggs. Sounded like a magic stuff.

My review: Meh. Very meh.

A far superior option if you have a yen for shallots is a Shallot Marmalade from David Lebovitz. Brilliant accompanying cheese or on top of a seared pork chop.

Admittedly, it isn't meant to serve as a sauce for pasta. When I want an easy pasta, I often find myself just browning butter and tossing in a few sage leaves to sizzle. I pour that over a plate of ravioli and shower it all with grated Parmesan. That's it. So good!

But then another pasta recipe started making the rounds. This one emerged from the depths of TikTok and quickly claimed the spotlight: Baked Feta Pasta. The hype around this recipe is off the charts.

It's appeal is simplicity. A brick of feta cheese on a baking dish, accompanied by a tumble of grape tomatoes, chopped garlic, a few lashings of olive oil, a grind or two of black pepper and a sprinkling of hot chili flakes. Into a hot oven for 45 minutes until melty.Stir everything together for a sauce. Toss in cooked pasta and add a handful of basil leaves. Eat.

Easy to make? Yes. Delicious? Um. Not so much. Don't get me wrong, the resulting bowl of cheesy pasta is fine. Absolutely fine! But, absolutely no more than fine.

Lesson learned: viral during a pandemic. Ironic? Sure. Worthy of accolades? Not necessarily.

Going Back to Basics

There is no easy way to say this, so I am just going to say it: My kitchen has been demolished.

It was unavoidable. Trust me. I would have preferred to avoid the full-on gutting of my hallowed kitchen - especially in the midst of the pandemic. But the crisis revealed dangerous flaws in my kitchen, which could not be remedied without construction. Was hoping to make it a minimal fix, but my 9-year old Ikea cabinetry crumbled quickly. Was able to save the countertops though.

How long will the repairs and renovation take? Let's just say - a while...

Luckily, I have very good friends who live across the hall who decamped to their country home at the beginning of the pandemic. They have been generous enough not only to allow me to store all the contents of my kitchen in their apartment, but have allowed me to store myself here as well.

Most of my kitchen gadgets and pantry staples are bagged and boxed up, but there are a few I made sure would be available during my stay. Top on that list were my sous vide and my Dutch oven. Both have already proven themselves as kitchen superstars, as I try to keep to fairly basic cookery while I am staying in my pals' home. Simple meals that taste like more have been on the menu.

For pastas, I am not making complicated sauces. Instead, think packaged mushroom ravioli, boiled up and drizzled with brown butter and sage. Or think al dente penne tossed with radicchio sauteed with red onion and garlic, topped with Ricotta Salata and toasted pinenuts (the latter "toasted" in the microwave). Shrimp can easily be prepped in the sous vide and tossed in the fridge for a no-clean-up Shrimp Cocktail. Eggs are an easy go-to as well, whether I am making Lox, Eggs and Onions to serve with some sliced cucumbers and a toasted bagel, or frying one up sunnyside to sit atop a few leftover spears of asparagus warmed in the microwave, showered with grated Parmesan.

Basic can be delicious.

Will I be dreaming of more complicated fare that I will tackle in my "new" kitchen? Of course! But in the meantime, simplicity rules.

A Kick-Off Cookie

We're all putting a hell of a lot of pressure on 2021 to deliver.

We need to chill.

2020 was a train wreck. So, maybe we start this year without the added pressure of a Dry January or a new strict diet regimen? Take a breath. Just take it one day at a time.

And, something sweet might not be so bad right around now. Add some crunch, perhaps? Chocolate seems appropriate too.

Don't worry. I got you. This is another "oldie, but a goodie" from Mama Vamp's recipe box...

Lace Cookies
Makes 32 - 36 cookies

1 cup quick oats
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick softened margarine (that's right, margarine!)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
6 oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie pans with aluminum foil. Mix dry ingredients together. Add softened margarine and mix well. Add the egg, orange juice and vanilla. Combine thoroughly. Drop cookie batter by 1/2 teaspoon. Bake 8 - 10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on the foil and then peel off gently. Pair cookies by size/shape before sandwiching. Melt chocolate. Spread on shiny side of the cookies and sandwich. Allow chocolate to cool and harden before serving.

Cookie Season

I have been baking. Baking a lot. Cookies in particular. They are highly coveted this time of year and highly shareable. And, considering my inability to throw dinner parties these days, I have taken to my oven to make cookies for neighbors and friends as a sweet substitute.

I know I am not the only one baking cookies frantically this season. Thought I would share recipes for some of my favorites -- including one from Mama Vamp.

Last night, I whipped up a batch of Snickerdoodles from Bon Appétit's popular recipe. My twist? The addition of a half teaspoon of cardamom to the cinnamon sugar mixture. I strongly advise you get really good cinnamon for this! (Burlap & Barrel is my go-to supplier for intense, single-origin cinnamon.) Brought these crisp, yet cakey classics to the crew working Christmas Day at my local Joe Coffee shop. Hoping for good reviews when I go there for an espresso in the morning!

I also add a twist to another go-to cookie recipe -- Melissa Clark's Rosemary Shortbread. In this case, the addition is orange zest. Can't say enough good things about this recipe. You can vary it in a multitude of ways and the cookies are always sublime!

Then there are the tried-and-true recipes you never muck with, like David Lebovitz's Cranzac Cookies...

...which are a magical amalgam of oats, brown sugar, dried cranberries, coconut, golden syrup (I actually have a bottle in the pantry from an earlier foray into Sri Lankan cookery), and some staple ingredients. These are deeply satisfying cookies. Never fail. Always welcome.

I also refuse to mess with François Payard's recipe for Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies. A bit chewy, there is something reminiscent of Tootsie Rolls about them. But, they are altogether elegant from the first bite to the last.

And, of course there are the cookies that I grew up with -- the ones that my mother baked when I was a kid. I published her recipe for Crunchy Jumbles a while back, chocolate chip cookies given a new lease on life with the addition of Rice Krispies. I don't know a soul that doesn't enjoy them!

But, have I ever told you about Mama Vamp's Blondies?

This recipe is a winner! I recently cheated on it with Smitten Kitchen's Blondie recipe, which called for browned butter -- but I still think this'll be the recipe that I turn to, when a batch of blondies is called for from my kitchen. Try them for yourself and let me know what you think!

Blondies

1/2 lb butter (room temperature)
1 box light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
12 oz chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder, and salt until a smooth thick batter. Add chocolate chips and mix until combined. Place batter in a 9x9 baking tin and spread out evenly. Bake for 45 minutes. Cool and slice into squares for serving.

A Coffee Trip

Travel is a non-starter. So, being enveloped by something outside of yourself while still remaining in the borough is a distinct pleasure.

Pleasure. That was the sensation after one sip of Mofawar -- rich coffee with cardamom and cream -- at Qahwah House in the heart of hipster Williamsburg.

Williamsburg? Yes. Yemen by way of Bedford Avenue. Quite the trip, indeed. Hands warmed by fragrant, cardamom-laced coffee on a makeshift patio, I was a bit transported.

Then I took a plastic fork and tucked into a warm slice of...

...Khailat Alnahi, a honeycomb-inspired sweet. Small, soft pull-apart rolls stuffed with buttery cheese and drizzled with honey.

Totally worth braving the cold and sitting off a busy street to nibble on the pastry and slowly sip the hot coffee.

A warm breeze from Yemen suddenly hit. (Or was that backdraft from the L subway line?)

I knew full well that it wasn't proper travel. It was a cup of coffee and a slice of cake. But, right now an improper trip to the Middle East is welcome nonetheless. On a magic carpet or via a cup of coffee? I'm not quibbling over the specifics.

By Request: My Champagne-Shallot Vinaigrette

Yesterday, I snapped a picture of lunch for a post on my Instagram feed. The image is above. The composed salad featured matchsticks of endive leaf, slices of pear, a generous crumbling of Jasper Hill Farms Bayley Hazen Blue Cheese, and a handful of toasted walnuts.

The photo struck a chord. Several folks asked for the recipe. How could I say no?

It's a classic combination -- but what really brings all the flavors together is a vinaigrette. It's a recipe I have turned to time and time again. Happy to share. It is a fantastic dressing for a range of different salad combinations. And, although I make it with thyme, you can feel free to swap it out for any number of herbs, including tarragon or oregano.

Champagne-Shallot Vinaigrette

1 medium-sized shallot, minced (about 3 TBSP)
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
4 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Champagne vinegar
3/4 cups olive oil

With a fork or small whisk, stir together the minced shallots, mustard, thyme, salt, pepper in a bowl. Add the vinegar and whisk until it is all melded together. Slowly add the oil while whisking, until emulsified. Let the vinaigrette sit for at least an hour before using. Even better, let sit overnight.

Eating Out of Season

I am 110% about eating foods while they are in season. Asparagus and Ramps in April or May. Cherries in June. Peaches in July. But some seasonal designations are beyond me.

For example, lore has it that we should only be eating shellfish, particularly oysters, in months with the letter “R."

Ummm...I think it depends on the shellfish in question. Local oysters are harvested at different times of the year, but considering we fly many a shelled beauty across the country, I have slurped oysters throughout the year.

Clams definitely have a season, if we are talking about wild varieties. But, Stuffed Clams are a year-round indulgence. The platter above was had at Bostwick's front patio in East Hampton just a couple weeks ago. On the other hand, I ordered something else off the menu, which may be a bit more controversial...

Yes, a gorgeous Lobster Roll. For some reason this glorious sandwich is considered a gustatory hallmark of summer. Yet, I enjoyed this one in November. I enjoyed it fully, gleefully, and without guilt!

According to Maine-Lobster.com, "There is no special Maine lobster season for the hard-shell lobsters that are more commonly shipped out of state, since lobstering is done year-round in the waters off Maine. More lobsters are caught in the summer months than during the winter, but that is mainly because the demand is higher due to tourism, and because the working conditions are easier."

So, admonish me at your peril. There is no seasonality issue at play. Besides, it's a pandemic for goodness sakes! If I want a Lobster Roll in November, so be it. And, you know what? I might want another one in December. And, just to put it over the edge, I might wear white after Labor Day.

I'm such a rebel!

Salad Days...& Frittata Days Too

Pandemic cooking for one means leftovers. For me, leftovers demand a bit of creativity. I'm not suggesting that eating the same meal a few days in a row might not be just fine - but I often crave change.

A go-to solution? Salads. All sorts of salads. Case in point: the Lamb Salad above, featuring slices of grilled lamb from the previous night's dinner, red leaf lettuce, some cooked carrots (also from the previous evening's repast), a few stray croutons, some olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a makeshift dressing that mixed together spicy olive oil and shallot vinaigrette from dinner the other night.

Another way to go? Frittata. Here's a snapshot of a recent beauty...

...highlighting previously sautéed zucchini and onions with some goat cheese. Already earmarking some leftover roasted Brussels sprouts and rice in the fridge for a frittata later this week. A bit of Gruyere might play well with those ingredients as well.

Salads and frittatas - where leftovers find new life!

Hummus Is Where The Heart Is

Finally was able to get to Philadelphia and see Mama Vamp.

Did we celebrate? My mother made a special request - that I bring cocktail supplies to make her something special that we could sip together. I packed up a shaker, a jigger, and small bottles of St. Germaine and Applejack. Montparnasse cocktails were shaken and poured into good crystal coupes. We raised them, toasted to being in good health and lucky enough to be together.

One round and we were hungry. Very hungry. Some things don't change. Thank goodness!

It was a beautiful Saturday and Philadelphians were out-and-about, masked up, sitting outdoors at local cafes. Wait times for a table were upwards of a half-hour. Not surprised. We kept walking and then saw it - Dizengoff - Chef Michael Solomonov's Center City Hummuyisa. In other words - a trip to Tel Aviv without the flight.

Yes. This was lunch. Gorgeous, light, fluffy hummus. One platter topped with roasted cauliflower and pistachios, and another with roasted brisket, beefy in a rich tomato and onion sauce. Swiped the plates with freshly baked pitas and thick slices of Persian cucumbers.

Oh, yes.

It made me question why I haven't made Solomonov's hummus recipe as of late. The difference between the homemade stuff, using his recipe, and the stuff in the market? They aren't even close. A comparison isn't fair. Solomonov's hummus is revelatory. The secret ingredient? Ice water. Seriously. Ice water.

I may have been leaning on my "Meat and Greek" combo throughout the pandemic, but "Hummus and Friends" may be my next go-to. It'll make me think of Mama Vamp. And, I have a strange feeling that even if I start making the hummus at home, I'll be visiting Dizengoff again with my mom the next time I am in Philly.

Her face lit up tasting its creamy goodness. Maybe the company had something to do with the smile too - but that hummus sure didn't hurt!