VittlesVamp

The Stones of Summer

I am ga-ga for stone fruit. Seriously love the stuff. When it all starts hitting the market each summer, I'm all in.

This summer has been no exception. The apricots above? Made individual Apricot Galettes for myself and some neighbors...

These plums?

I was inspired by The Amateur Gourmet himself, Adam Roberts' , who tinkered with a Marian Burros recipe and varied it up further with this Plum-Almond Torte...

And, then there are the copious amounts of cherries I can't resist...

In addition to simply gobbling them up at all hours, I also pitted a few to try a Cherry Clafoutis recipe from David Lebovitz...

And, peaches? Yeah, got these from Georgia...

And, baked up a Peach-Rye Cake recipe from pastry doyenne Zoë François...

Where are the nectarines, you wonder? I have eaten them so quick that I didn't have time to take a snapshot.

Have a few precious weeks of stone fruit season left. I've been jamming on making jam with some of it too. But, I think you can safely assume that you'll see a few more stone fruit treats appear in my Instagram feed soon.

Variations On A Theme

We often have a tendency to gild the lily when it comes to recipes. (I've seen many a sad cookie chockablock with wayward ingredients. It's painful.) So, typically, I try to keep the integrity of a recipe in check.

But that doesn't mean that variations are verboten. Sometimes something small can make it your own. Or as Ina Garten likes to say - turn up the volume!

I recently did just that with a Brown Butter-Cinnamon Crumb Cake recipe that caught my eye. The addition of fresh blueberries...

...didn't distract from the gorgeous crumb and added a sweet, summery burst of berry flavor to the cake.

And cocktail recipes also offer a chance to tweak and adapt to your taste. Case in point: a recipe for a Straw Dog cocktail from Death & Co, which called for a fresh strawberry and Scotch, among other ingredients. I had neither at hand. (Also, to be honest, I don't really care for the peaty taste of Scotch.) But, then I found a variation that appealed...

...a spin on the recipe, found on Food52...

It substituted the strawberry for a slice of ripe peach and the Scotch for Bourbon.

Oh, hellz-to-the-yes! This drink is freaking brilliant!

Soon, I'll be at it again - adapting the classic Negroni by switching out Campari for Forthave Spirits Red. Will it be delicious? Will I need to stir up a second drink with Campari to compare-and-contrast? All quite possible.

But, no gilding the lily here. Variations are one thing. Lilies belong in gardens and occasionally in vases. No gilding necessary.

My Parisian Pandemic - In Brooklyn (Merci Monsieur Lebovitz)

I was supposed to go to Paris late March. Supposed to go. Didn't go.

Perhaps that is why I discovered David Lebovitz's Instagram Live "Apero Hour" from Paris, a civilized and joyful respite from the pandemic, 12noon Eastern, Monday through Saturday.

Well before all this, I had been an admirer of Lebovitz. Earlier in his career he was a cook and pastry chef at Berkeley's Chez Panisse. He moved to Paris decades ago and has been writing about his experiences - glorious and exasperating and everything in-between - ever since. I had often cooked recipes from My Paris Kitchen and enjoyed reading his memoir-meets-cookbook called The Sweet Life in Paris, but it wasn't until I stumbled on his genius recipe for Almond Cake that I became an ardent fan. It's the bombdiggity! Just let one mere crumb of this dessert past your lips and you will instantly become a fan girl (or fan guy)!

His "Apero Hour" IG Lives began as a substitute for a book tour to promote his latest tome - Drinking French. The COVID-19 crisis had most of the world in lockdown, so instead of visiting bookstores to talk about the cocktails, apéritifs, spirits, and other drinks that are the cornerstone of French café and bar life, he took to Instagram. At 6pm Paris time he makes a drink from his Parisian kitchen - sometimes accompanied in-person by his utterly charming partner Romain. And, once in a while, he is joined remotely by a guest bartender, distiller, or another drinks-focused author, who could be located anywhere in the wilds of France or the deepest darkest depths of Brooklyn.

It has become appointment viewing for me.

As a result, I've purchased some new cocktail ingredients - including Plantation Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum (who knew it was made by the French?). I have shaken and stirred a new range of drinks for sipping during Zoom happy hours and alike. I have made Lebovitz's Rosemary Gimlet, followed his recipes for making a Montparnasse, The White Lady, and a Daiquiri (using the aforementioned pineapple-infused rum - YUM!). I also tried my hand at drink recipes offered by his guests, including a stellar Margarita from Ivy Mix of Brooklyn's Leyenda and the bitter and brilliant Tunnel Cocktail from Franck Audoux, the owner of Cravan in Paris (snapshot of my rendition above.)

In addition, I connect with a makeshift community of sorts when I log on. Several of us "regulars" chime in and chatter with each other, as well as David, in an effort to make "Apero Hour" our own.

And, lest you think that I've solely been imbibing thanks to Mr. Lebovitz, I can attest to the fact that I have been trying more of his food recipes too. In fact, his Shallot Marmalade...

...is up there in genius, swoon-worthy territory. And, his "Apero Hour" featuring French cheeses, inspired me to buy a serious slice of Brie de Meaux to go alongside some of the marmalade.

Sure I will be exploring more of his recipes - and those he recommends - in the coming weeks. I have already added certain spots like the bar Combat and the Fédération Française de l'Apéritif to my Paris map for when I can finally return to the City of Lights. Until then, and for as long as he'll allow, I will be virtually visiting David Lebovitz's kitchen for my fix of France.

Merci, David Lebovitz! Merci!

Waste Not, Want Not

Right now "waste" has become the enemy during this pandemic lock-down. As a result, I have taken to crafting menus more than a week in advance to make sure that every ingredient in my fridge gets used. But sometimes that means cooking something right before it goes bad -- and then putting it immediately into the freezer for safekeeping until it can take its rightful place on my dinner plate.

So, above is a Buttermilk-Marinated Roast Chicken (in this case, marinated in a buttermilk substitute of milk and lemon juice). Ordinarily, I wouldn't make a whole bird for myself, but just because I could only eat about a third of this beauty for dinner one night, didn't mean I had actually made too much. I had plans...

The rest of the meat was destined to star in Honeyed Chicken Salad that would be served up not once, but twice in lunchtime sandwiches.

And, then there was the chicken carcass...

That's right - Chicken Soup. Enriched the stock with a leftover rind of Parmesan-Reggiano cheese. Like I said, nothing is going to waste now. Besides, it gives an extra umami edge to the broth.

Figure that no one out there needs a "how-to" on chicken stock, but if you too have a whole chicken in your "shelter-in-place" future, perhaps you'll want to try your hand at my chicken salad with the leftovers.

Honeyed Chicken Salad

2 cups chicken meat (about 1/2 a small roast chicken - cut into chunks or shredded)
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 TBSP minced scallion (green parts only)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 TBSP honey
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, honey, salt, and pepper together to create a dressing in a large bowl. Add chicken, celery, and scallion. Mix to thoroughly combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, so the flavors meld together before serving.

More Quarantine Cooking: Cassoulet-Style Beans

These days food shopping has become a bizarre competitive sport of sorts. I used to like to go to the market and see what inspired me. No more. Now I tap on my computer keyboard when the clock strikes midnight to try to wrangle a slot on FreshDirect -- and purchase whatever they have available. But, those slots have been very hard to come by. Nearly impossible. I am a loser in the game of FreshDirect

Thankfully, new options have been emerging on the scene. And, so the last time I needed to place a grocery order, I turned to Baldor, a popular restaurant food delivery company that's now making home deliveries too.

Despite the wide selection and gorgeous array of products on the site, there is a major challenge in navigating Baldor -- size matters. Don't mean that in a smutty way. Mean that in a "restaurant order quantities" kind of way. Eyeing that Grass Fed Beef Skirt Steak from Joyce Farms? Better be ready to order 20 lbs. of it. That Extra Fancy Rhubarb looking tasty right now? You had better fancy a full 10 lbs.

Needless to say, it took me over an hour and a half of hunting on the site to narrow down the items that I could visualize ordering without my fridge running out of room. A 5 lb. brick of Ground Beef was purchased, as were eight Beefsteak Tomatoes, a dozen bottles of San Pellegrino Sparkling Water, and a 3 ltr. jug of olive oil, among other items -- including four plump Toulouse Sausages from Fabrique Délices, which were placed in my cart on a whim.

Was I planning to live up to my "whim" and make Cassoulet? I mean, that's the only time I have ever seen Toulouse sausages in a recipe. They are key a component of a Cassoulet, along with Duck Confit, Salted Pork, Pork Shoulder, Cannellini Beans, and a litany of other ingredients. Typically, one French garlicky pot of the the stuff serves about 12 hungry guests. Did I think Cassoulet was going to happen for little ole me in quarantine?

Let's think about this for minute...

I think not.

And, so a quarantine compromise was born -- Cassoulet-Style Beans -- which were the perfect accompaniment to two Toulouse sausages, seared on my cast iron grill pan. I couldn't find dried beans, so a couple of cans had to do. I think we can agree that "making do" is perfectly fine right now. Authenticity can be tossed aside. Deliciousness, though?

I think not.

Cassoulet-Style Beans
(Serves 4 as a side dish)

2 cans of Cannellini beans (15 oz. each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 - 3 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
bunch of fresh thyme (tied with twine, bouquet garni-style)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
3 tablespoons butter (melted)

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sautee for 3 - 4 minutes, until they just begin to soften. Add garlic and sautee a couple of minutes more. Put celery and carrots into the pot and stir every once in while for about 10 - 12 minutes, until they start to soften too. Pour in beef broth and scrape off any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Bring temperature up to a steady simmer. Stir in tomato paste and add the thyme. Allow to cook until most of the broth has evaporated and the vegetables are quite soft (about 15 minutes). Turn off heat. Drain beans. Add into the vegetable mixture along with 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Set oven to 400 degrees. Place bean mixture in a baking pan -- one big enough that the beans are about 1 - 1 1/2 inch thick from the bottom. Toss together bread crumbs, parsley, onion powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and melted butter. Scatter the topping over the beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and put on a trivet to serve.

Quarantine Cooking

Been working to bring my A-game to the kitchen in the last few weeks. Trying valiantly to make sure that I keep to my intermittent fasting 8-hour window and avoid snacking. In order to keep that schedule - without succumbing to the ever-present temptation to snack (and snack a lot) - I am making sure that my meals feel special and taste delicious.

My strategies thus far?

No. 1 - Breakfast for lunch. Breakfast foods are typically soul satisfying - and damn if my soul couldn't use some help right about now. So, we're talking Cinnamon French Toast with Raspberries and Maple Syrup. We're also talking about various omelets, and variations on baked eggs, including this one with roasted red peppers, spinach, ham, and cream with a sprinkling of oregano...

No. 2 - Sometimes I try to stretch myself when it comes to dinner. Sundays have become my day for making anything that is time-consuming but seems worth the fuss - and has leftovers that can be frozen as well to boot.

Last Sunday? I made Beef Bourguignon...

So freaking good! Did it make up for the fact that my trip to Paris in March was cancelled? Um, no. But, it did put a smile on my face - and there are two more portions waiting for me in my freezer. (Thank goodness for my freezer!)

No. 3 - Stretching my culinary skill set even further, I've tried my hand at various Asian recipes, including Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce, Chicken and Bok Choy (swapped in dark chicken meat for the pork in this case), and Vietnamese Caramelized Black Pepper Scallops with Baby Bok Choy...

Really thankful that I have Jasmine rice and a rice cooker on the nights when I am attempting Asian.

No. 4 - Been baking a bit, but giving out some of the goodies to neighbors to keep spirits up and my sweet tooth in check. So far, my Crunchy Jumbles have been on the docket, as well as this Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe from Boston's Flour Bakery.

Strategies No. 5, 6, 7, and 8? Stay tuned...(It's not like I am going anywhere!)

Ugly Beautiful

With a mandate to stay-the-fuck-at-home and the prospect of quarantine looming large, it's time to start cooking.

We're not talking doomsday prep, people! No need to start hoarding!

What we need are "think ahead" food strategies to keep culinary delight well within grasp - with limited resources. One of my favorite flavor-bombs to have on-hand? Slow-roasted tomatoes. A snap of the ugly beauties is above. (They kind of look like some sort of modern piece of art, don't they?)

The whole process is relatively simple: Grab a bunch of plum tomatoes, cut them in half, and scoop out the innards. Toss with a little olive oil and salt. Place skin-side up on parchment paper or tin foil on a large sheet pan. Bake for a half-hour at 350 degrees. Take them out of the oven and let them cool a bit before removing the skins. Lower the oven to 250 degrees and put the tomatoes back in for another hour and a half.

Voila. That's it. Toss them in with pasta. Put them on a sandwich. Saute with seafood. Can't see them on top of an ice cream sundae, but then again...

My Scallop Crudo

There are recipes I return to time and time again when I am hosting one of my many multi-course dinner parties. Scallop Crudo is definitely high on my list of go-to's - and with good reason. It is incredibly easy to make and it's always a crowd pleaser.

There are caveats though: Buy the freshest scallops you can find and don't cheap out on the olive oil. Great olive oil isn't optional here. It is a must. If you don't enjoy tasting a spoonful of the stuff that you have in your pantry, you need to up your olive oil game before attempting this dish. Trust me. Totally worth it!

Scallop Crudo
(Serves 6 as a first course)

1 lb fresh sea scallops
1/2 lemon
1/4 cup exceptionally good olive oil
3/4 tsp Maldon sea salt
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Fresh chives

Slice raw scallops into two or three thin coins each. Place them on a big platter or individual plates. Squeeze a little lemon juice over and then drizzle olive oil. Sprinkle the crunchy sea salt granules and the nuts on top. Snip a few bits of fresh chive over it all to finish it off.

Rice Scares The Heck Out Of Me

I can make homemade Ricotta Sorbet. I can sous vide Shrimp Cocktail. I can stir up a mean Martini. But rice. It scares the heck out of me. (My stash of Jasmine Rice is pictured above. A frightening sight!)

Seriously.

I have burned more pots of rice than I care to count. Let's not forget the pots of still crunchy, never cooked-through rice. And, then there are the pots of soupy unGodly rice porridge that I brought into the world.

A sad state of affairs.

Then I finally bought a rice cooker. This device was a miracle. Jasmine rice turned out perfectly every time!

Then I was stupid. i decided I wanted to make basmati rice. This is not ideal for a rice cooker. What was I thinking?!? I went down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos about making basmati rice. It was painful. There are so many different techniques. I finally settled on one though. In addition, I decided to take a recipe and tweak it to my taste. And, what happened? A delicious basmati pilaf was born!

Basmati Pilaf with Caramelized Onion, Cherries & Pistachios
(Serves 6 - 8)

2 cups of basmati rice
2 TBSP canola oil
3 yellow onions, sliced thin
1/2 cup dried cherries (reconstituted with hot water and drained)
1/3 cup shelled pistachios (toasted and chopped)
Zest from 1 orange
2 TBSP Kosher salt

Soak basmati rice 3 - 4 times in cool water, swishing around and draining to remove excess starch. Then soak rice for 30 - 45 minutes before draining. Put drained rice in a big pot and add 1 TBSP of canola oil. Put over moderate heat and saute for 3 minutes, making sure all grains are coated. Add 3 cups of boiling water and 1 TBSP Kosher salt. Bring to a rolling boil and then lower the stove temperature to a simmer and place a lid on top, leaving it alone for 10 minutes. Take pot off of the heat for 10 minutes and then fluff rice with a fork.

In a separate pot or Dutch oven, melt butter with 1 TBSP canola oil. Add onions and 1 TBSP Kosher salt. Saute until brown and caramelized, about 45 minutes.

Add rice into caramelized onions and mix with a fork. Add cherries, pistachios, and orange zest. Mix further and gently heat through on stove top before serving.

This Dessert Is Everything

I love going down recipe rabbit holes that introduce me to a new culture and cuisine. When "Salt Fat Acid Heat" author/chef Samin Nosrat shared 10 of her favorite Persian recipes in the New York Times, I took it as a personal challenge to cook Persian. Friends encouraged me -- and two even offered to cook alongside.

The dinner was filled with flavor and a magical alchemy provided by the sheer number of fragrant spices and herbs taking a starring role in the meal.

There was a platter overflowing with bright greenery -- delicate lettuces, peppery baby watercress, feathery fronds of dill, fresh parsley, and slivers of baby cucumber, all with a crumbly slab of soft, rich feta and a bowl of honeyed, minty vinegar syrup called Sekanjabin.

Another plate was slathered with a roasted eggplant and labne spread dotted with toasted nuts and drizzled with a saffron tea.

There was a Kuku, a hot-from-the-over Persian frittata, packed with herbs.

The entree was Nosrat's Persian Chicken with Walnuts and Pomegranate, seared chicken thighs stewed in a beautiful thick mole sauce made of cups and cups of ground, toasted walnuts with hints of sweet pomegranate molasses, saffron, and tumeric. It was accompanied by my attempt at making a Persian rice stalwart -- a crispy cake of saffron-infused basmati rice, called Tahdig.

It was a marvelous feast. But, it was dessert that made the meal transcendent.

There was a Saffron Ice Cream, icy, aromatic, and lush. Scoops of it were topped with pieces of candied brittle.

This wasn't any old brittle, mind you. This was Saffron-Rose Water Brittle with Pistachio and Almonds, sprinkled with bits of dried rose petals and crunchy flakes of Maldon sea salt. Pictured above, this was a eyes-roll-back-into-your-head-type of treat. It required me to buy a candy thermometer and I burned myself while making it -- but no matter. It was worth the fuss. More than worth it. This is candy of the Gods.

Now, I need another excuse to make some.

Maybe I should take a queue from the Wall Street Journal next. They have, after all, run a series of Persian recipes from Sofreh owner/chef chef Nasim Alikhani.

Then again, this gorgeous goodie doesn't require an excuse. Just need to have Persian saffron, rose water, dried rose petals, and plenty of nuts on hand. This time though, I will wear protective gloves. Want my digits in tip-top shape, so I can grab a shard of the heavenly stuff as soon as it is cooled.