VittlesVamp

Easy Peasy Pasta

Despite the title of the post, this pasta recipe doesn't include peas. But it could.

I happened upon this recipe by Chef Jonathan Benno in the Wall Street Journal. Very simple - and very delicious. I immediately started adding things to make it my own. My go-to version includes a tin of lightly smoked mackerel or sardines and some toasted pinenuts atop for some nutty goodness and crunch.

You should feel free to substitute both. Have some leftover rotisserie chicken? Chop that up and add it instead of the tinned fish. Have some slivered almonds or panko bread crumbs? Sprinkle them on top and forgo the pinenuts.

As implied earlier, add-ins are welcome. Think steamed broccoli florets, slivers of roasted red peppers, some halved cherry tomatoes, a handful of spinach leaves - and, yes, even a fistful of peas from the freezer.

Pasta Facile
(Serves 4)

1 pound linguine
1 can of tinned fish such as mackerel or sardines
⅓ cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons minced parsley
1½ teaspoons red chile flakes
6 tablespoons minced parsley
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Kosher salt

Fill a large pot with salted water, set over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Add linguine and cook until almost al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking water.

Set a large pan over low heat and swirl in olive oil, garlic and chile flakes. Gently heat oil until garlic is aromatic but takes on no color, about 1 minute. Add canned fish. Increase heat to high and add drained pasta, butter and half the reserved cooking water. Quickly toss pasta without stopping until sauce emulsifies, thickens and coats noodles, 1-2 minutes. If necessary, add splashes of remaining cooking water to stretch sauce until it looks creamy and completely coats the noodles.

Off heat, toss in half the parsley, half the lemon zest and half the juice. Season with salt and more juice to taste. Serve with toasted pine nuts and remaining parsley and grated lemon zest scattered over top.

My Pasta Obsession

Fusilli was so last year. Rigatoni? Fine, but not getting me all that excited. How about Penne? What can I say? It's sort of commonplace.

A new pasta shape has caught my fancy. And, you know how I like my fancy struck!

It's called Reginetti. They are gorgeous ribbons with curlicue edges, cut into bite-sized, ruffled pieces.

Above, I served them in a White Ragu made with veal, guanciale and marjoram.

Below, they are enveloped in a Creamy Mushroom Ragu.

If Italy Magazine is to be believed, there are 350 pasta shapes in the Italian food canon. Will I find another shape that sets me aflutter? With 350 to choose from, I would imagine so. That said, right now I am seriously enjoying my infatuation with Reginetti. And, so are the guests at my table, if I do say so myself!

Flexing My Dinner Party Skills

Ever since I came home from Rome, my kitchen has been busy. As I mentioned in my earlier post, Passover seder dinner was made -- and had with gusto. (Damn, that was some tasty Brisket!) But, I didn't stop there. Not even close.

There was the Scandinavian dinner, for which I made a soup that I first had in Copenhagen as a teen - a rich cream soup studded with mussels called Billi Bi. Sounds like a piece of Ikea furniture, right? Did some research to discover that it is a French soup. Decided it didn't matter, and made it for the party nonetheless. Also infused some Aquavit with strawberries for an opening cocktail with Prosecco to give it some light fizz.

Then there was a weeknight Roast Chicken with Caramelized Onions dinner, complete with Frisee Salad and baguette with softened French butter. And then leftover chicken turned into the star of a Composed Salad dinner with yet another friend.

Only a few days later, I had a couple of other friends at the table for a dinner that began with a recipe out of the Via Carota cookbook - Butternut Squash with Red Onions and Currants. Served room temperature, this dish is lush and comforting all at once, with a hit of sweet and sour vinegar and shower of toasted pine nuts. (The latter happened after I snapped the photo above.) The main was Chicken with Trumpet Mushrooms and Wine, which was followed up by a fragrant Almond Cake with Raspberries.

Was I done for a while after that one? Heck, no!

Let's think brunch. In this case, made a Tre Colori Salad to start things off slow before heading into a Rigatoni with a White Ragu, made with stewed beef, carrots, celery, onions, and wine. Dessert was homemade Strawberry and Balsamic Ripple Ice Cream.

Then I hosted a dinner that brought me back to Mama Vamp's table when I was a kid -- making her Corned Beef. Served it up with a dish of Red Cabbage with Apples. Those were the central players in a dinner that started with a Tortilla Español with Creme Fraiche and Caviar. Dessert was a refreshing homemade Tangerine Sorbet.

And, I kept going...

This past Wednesday had some pals over for a dinner of Sheet-pan Chicken with Chickpeas, Cumin, and Turmeric. Scooped out homemade Mango Ice Cream and topped it with Raspberries doused in Orange Flower Water to cap it off with something sweet.

Am I cooked out?

I would think so.

And, yet I keep proving myself wrong. A trip to a market today and I was eyeballing cuts of pork and thinking about what I could whip up...

Well, better get some invites out soon. And, y'all better come hungry!

Haute Indian Winter in Brooklyn

After my trip to London, I couldn't stop thinking about the superlative Indian restaurants I visited there. I needed a replay - but London is far. And, the high-end Indian spots in NYC are so popular that it is hard to score a table. So, I needed to put the matter in my own hands. Well, my hands and my pal Brett's hands as well.

We started with the above - a brunch of Bombay Scrambled Eggs from the late great Chef FLoyd Cardoz, and Curried Potatoes and Cashews, a riff on a Madhur Jaffrey recipe.

It wasn't just good. It was delicious.

A dinner party idea was born. And so it was...

That plate of Dal? It was in-freakin-credible. Brett outdid himself.

Next up, an Indian Chicken Rice Pilaf scented with coconut milk, ginger, tumeric, and more. Alongside, an umami-packed Oyster Mushroom Curry.

And then there was dessert...

Hell-to-the-yes! Tejal Rao's Quick Mango Kulfi recipe is pure genius. The trick? Canned mangos from India. Seriously. Canned. Soooo good.

Do I still want to return to London's haute Indian restaurant scene? Do I want to nab a reservation at Sona and Semma in Manhattan? Yes and yes! But in the meantime, I am trying my best to get Brooklyn to deliver as best as my kitchen (and Brett's) can muster.

Tis The Season To Be Cooking

No one will be surprised, but I have been cooking for a crowd as of late. Many dinner parties at my table this season. Frankly, just the fact that I can gather friends at my table is reason enough to celebrate!

Some of the menus? Happy to share...

First up was a post-Thankgiving fêtê which started with Oysters from my pals David and Catherine, who shucked with glee, while I shook up cocktails. At the table, the first course was a Dayboat Lemon Sole Crudo with Fresh Chives and Toasted Pinenuts. That was followed by two lovely Buttermilk-Brined Chickens with Thyme under the skin, roasted atop slabs of Sweet Vidalia Onion. The glorious birds were served with a Chicory Salad in a Champagne-Shallot Vinaigrette, sliced Baguette from L'Appartement 4F, and softened French butter.

Dessert? So glad you asked...

--Lowcountry Peanut Pie - from a recipe in Garden & Gun - topped with fresh Whipped Cream.

The next dinner party was a collaboration with my friends Wendy and Mark - a Sicilian dinner. After some antipasti during cocktail hour, the two served up a Seafood Salad with Celery and Fennel. Then came a pasta course from yours truly - Rigatoni alla Norma...

...pasta tossed in a spicy tomato sauce with chunks of eggplant, oodles of fresh basil and a shower of shaved ricotta salata. My recipe combined one from Chef Sara Jenkins and some ideas from an article about this mainstay Italian dish in The Guardian.

This pasta elicited some serious oohs and aahs.

And, then there was dessert - a collaborative dessert. We made a Deconstructed Cannoli: scoops of my Ricotta Sorbet, each bowl graced with a sprinkle of chocolate flakes, crushed pistachio, chopped Luxardo cherries, and a glorious Vanilla Pizzelle Cookie from Wendy and Mark's kitchen. The cookie was joyfully plunked in the middle to resemble "Cosmo's Moon."

The following week, I went in a different direction - a distinctly New Orleans direction. I whipped up a Cajun/Creole feast for friends. It started with Shrimp Ravigote over Wedges of Iceberg. We then moved onto to steaming bowls of Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, with a smattering of heat from the combination of cayenne and Crystal.

It was lovely, but dessert was the real showstopper...

--Almond Croissant Bread Pudding, served warm.

Did I have one more dinner party in me before Christmas came barreling by?

Why, yes. And, it was quite the festive repast, if I do say so myself!

Jumbo sous-vided Shrimp Cocktail grabbed the spotlight during the cocktail hour. Seated, the spotlight moved over to a Wild Salmon Tartare...

...the gorgeous Toro-grade fish from Shipwreck Seafood Boutique and the recipe from Ottolenghi. Bite-sized chunks of glistening salmon were tossed with lemon, olive oil and shallots, topped with tarragon and chopped pistachio, and drizzled with brown butter with cumin seeds, served with wafer-thin slices of watermelon radish.

Oh, hell, yes!

The main was a Roast Pork Loin with Wild Fennel Pollen and a homemade Apple Chutney. Alongside, there was a Bitter Lettuce Salad and my go-to marriage of 4F Baguette with French butter.

Dessert was low-key - individual Chocolate Soufflés with Pistachio Gelato.

Jealous? Want to angle for an invite to my next get-together? Smart idea.

Meanwhile though, sharing my recipe for Rigatoni alla Norma, so you can taste a bit of Chez Vamp at your own table.

Rigatoni alla Norma

2 medium eggplants, cut into 3/4″ cubes
4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, minced
3/4 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, undrained and crushed by hand
1 lb. rigatoni
4 oz. ricotta salata, grated
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn by hand
Kosher salt & black pepper

Sprinkle eggplant with salt (about 2 tsps.) and let sit in a colander for a half-hour. Squeeze out excess liquid out of the cubes with a dishtowel.

Set oven to 450 degrees. Put eggplant into a bowl and drizzle with 3 tbsp. oil. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper. Transfer eggplant to 2 baking sheets and bake, turning occasionally, until soft and caramelized (about 20 minutes). Put aside.

Heat remaining oil in a large pot and saute onion until soft over a medium flame and then add garlic and chile flakes. Stir another 3 minutes and then add the tomatoes, crushing them a bit as they hit the pot. Add half the basil. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Cook down for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil rigatoni to al dente, following the manufacturer's instructions. Save a little of the starchy water if needed to help bind the sauce. Strain the pasta and toss into the tomato sauce along with the eggplant. Stir to combine.

Serve topped with the remaining fresh basil and the ricotta salata.

My Kind of Comfort Food

There is something undeniably comforting about a plate of Lox, Eggs and Onions for dinner. A few snips of fresh dill on top and it is practically gourmet.

Thinly sliced onion caramelized until golden brown. Nova scotia smoked salmon seared. A quick whisking of eggs tossed into the sizzling pan.

So simple. So good. Lox, Eggs and Onions. It's what's for dinner.

Fruit & Veg

You expect them together on the produce aisle, but not necessarily together on a plate. Except for a squeeze of citrus atop steaming veggies, fresh fruit and vegetables aren't always seen as a natural pairing.

Yet, two posts below, you'll see an image of a Charred Cabbage Salad from a visit in July to Portland's Canard -- and that cabbage was served with sliced peaches, toasted pine nuts, and a shower of Parmesan.

Good stuff.

And, even more recently, I was surprised and delighted at a local fave called Colonie to tuck into a Watermelon Salad with charred Shishito peppers, smoked ricotta, brown butter, fresh oregano leaves, and toasted pumpkin seeds. On another evening at the same restaurant, I was greeted with a special Tomato and Strawberry Salad.

Yes, yes, tomatoes are also considered a fruit as well as a vegetable, but still!

Tomatoes are a great foil for fresh fruit. In fact, I have been known to make a salad of tomatoes, peaches, red onion and cilantro. Delicious combo!

Have you encountered any couplings between fruit and veg this summer? Could they beat out Bennifer as the new "it couple"? We'll see...

Rice Crack Persian-Style

Rice had always been one of those foodstuffs that was a challenge for me to make -- that is, until I finally bought myself a rice cooker. That device has served me well.

Made me brave enough to raise my hand when it came to being in charge of the Tahdig for a Persian dinner party with friends. For those of you who don't know, Tahdig is a gorgeous mound of fragrant Basmati rice, heaped into a pot to be browned and crisped at the bottom. It's sort of rice crack. And, now I had to make the rice crack.

Well, as you can surmise from the photo above, I did it. Well, almost. This isn't proper Tahdig. It's Samin Nosrat's Persian-ish Rice. And, allow me to say that it is an amaze-balls recipe. Worked perfectly!

Am I still scared of rice? Less and less each day. Sure that there are other grains out there that will thwart me, but between my rice cooker and Ms. Nosrat's recipes for the rest of my rice escapades, I got this!

Faux Pas-sover

Passover, now? Did I screw up my calendar?

Not exactly. These photos are a month old. From April 30th to be exact.

But, wait. Passover was April 15 - 23.

Yeah. I decided to push the date for my celebration. Hence the name of the post. Get it now?

Any which way, the meal was on point. It all started with a cocktail creation, inspired by Charoset. (Yes, you read right.) Think Applejack, Lillet Rouge, apple cider and a spoonful of nutty Nocello, topped with Prosecco.

A drink or two in and it was time to recline and start in with dinner. The secret to my Matzoh Balls? First off, serve them in homemade chicken broth. Second, pack them with fresh herbs for flavor.

Went Israeli for the main event...

On the plate: Braised Lamb with Shawarma Spices, Homemade Hummus, Middle Eastern Cucumber-Tomato Salad, and Labneh. Good stuff.

We didn't break out the Seder Plate or the Maxwell House Haggadahs. Didn't even cue up "The Ten Commandments" to the plagues for a little Technicolor action. So, it wasn't a classic VittlesVamp seder repast. Still, it felt festive. And, after 2 years of Covid, I will take festive whenever and wherever I can find it!

Mazel Tov!

Ice Cream For Teddy

I was seriously nervous. I knew that a review from Teddy would be unadulterated, unfiltered honesty.

He's four. Candor in food reviews are a hallmark of his set.

The words "blech" and "ew" are often trotted out, when youngsters are confronted with new foods. No sensitivity here for the beleaguered chef.

How did I get into this situation? Innocently enough, I had made some kid-friendly chocolate chip cookies for my neighbor Teddy (which he kindly shared with his parents), and since he knew I made ice cream as well, he declared that next I would be making him a frozen confection. Pushy, yes, but I liked his pluck!

I agreed, and inquired about his favorite flavor. He took a beat and then said that he loved "chocolate dipped strawberries," asking if I could do something along those lines.

Hmmm. Not quite Balsamic and strawberries, but pretty darn sophisticated for a four-year-old nonetheless. The gauntlet had been thrown down.

Admittedly, it was several months before I picked it up.

I had baked some Rosemary Shortbread and shared a few with Teddy's parents. Teddy saw the hand-off and immediately remarked "Where's my ice cream?"

I had to pony up -- pony up big time. The question was whether I tempered the flavors for a child's palate or if I went full-throttle.

I think you know which way I went.

I heated milk and steeped cocoa nibs for two hours. I made a slurry with exceedingly good cocoa, yolks and sugar. Mixed that all together, stirring over a medium flame until it thickened, and then added 3 bars of high-grade bittersweet chocolate. Put that in the fridge and then sous vide strawberries with sugar. The next day I tossed the chocolate ice cream base in my freezer tub and let the machine do its thing. Then I grabbed a Tupperware container and layered the ice cream with intense strawberry bits before letting it freeze overnight.

Oh, yeah. This was some solid ice cream goodness. But, was it too much for Teddy? I didn't know.

I asked his Mom to shoot me a text after he tried it -- and even if he didn't care for it, not to hold back. She promised.

Three days later and I was on tenterhooks. No review. Was his Mom too embarrassed to tell me that the ice cream had elicited an "ick" from her son?

I saw her for coffee and after a few niceties I had to ask.

"Oh my, gosh -- he loved it," she said. "I took a video of him eating it and completely forgot to send it to you!"

I breathed a sigh of relief! And then she forwarded the video, so I could hear for myself.

Teddy's words as he took a bite: "Let's see about this...Hmmm...I like it! It is soooo good. Yummy, yummy, yummy!"

Poetry. Pure poetry. I don't think I've gotten a review that pleased me more.

"Yummy, yummy, yummy!" will be the words that carry me into 2022 with a bit of optimism!