VittlesVamp

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.

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!

My Winter Kitchen List

There is nothing like a really great restaurant meal to get me to do culinary cartwheels in my own kitchen. I often end up trying to recreate a dish. Sometimes I simply ride the inspiration into a delightful home-cooked meal.

Well, two brunches last weekend have definitely set me down a gastronomy rabbit hole (and, yes, rabbit might even be involved.)

First up, was Saturday brunch a Agi's Counter in Crown Heights, where the Eastern European fare was front and center. Hungarian pastry lined the countertop. Protected by glass panes, it made for an irresistible window shopping experience while I waited on line to place my brunch order. No surprise, a warm slice of Cinnamon Bread showered with sea salt was had. So was a swoon-worthy Caraway Shortbread Cookie. Savory followed in the form of an open-faced poached chicken sandwich with buttermilk and grapes that was swoon-worthy in its own right. And, then because brunch is about being excessive, we had a Hungarian Nosh Plate that included a buttery chicken liver mousse, 6-minute deviled eggs, housemade pickles, and more.

I loved everything that was served -- but all I could think about was "Why haven't I made Chicken Paprikash in ages?"

And, yes, thinking that homemade spaetzle are a must do too.

But then there was Sunday brunch. It was had at Lowerline near the Brooklyn Museum of Art. The place tasted much more like Bywater than Brooklyn. Take a look at this Crawfish Étouffée...

Yeah. Gumbo needs to be made. Perhaps Rabbit and Dumplings need to be rustled up as well. And, let's say "yes" to Bananas Foster.

Anyone interested in joining my table this winter?

Carbonara

Spaghetti Carbonara. It's like a siren's call to my tastebuds.

It's the BEC of pasta. Yes, bacon, egg, and cheese. Do you see "cream" listed there? I think not. My recipe is fairly classic, except for one addition -- minced shallots. Quibble, if you must. One bite and you'll be a convert.

Spaghetti Carbonara
Serves 2

8oz. dried spaghetti (aka half of a box)
1 cup diced guanciale or thick-cut bacon
1 1/2 TBSP minced shallot
1/4 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
1 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Italian parsley for garnish

Whisk one whole egg, one yolk, 1 cup of the cheese, and the pepper in a bowl. Put to the side. In a large pan or pot sauté guanciale or bacon until it starts to crisp and release fat. At the same time, boil water and cook pasta until al dente. Add the shallots to the pan with the guanciale/bacon and cook until translucent. Bottom of the pan will likely be getting rather browned. Add the wine or vermouth and swirl around to get the brown bits. Spaghetti should be done by now, so strain, saving some of the starchy water. Toss a 1/4 cup of the starchy water in with the guanciale/bacon and swirl everything together. Now, add in the cooked spaghetti and egg/cheese/pepper mixture and quickly toss it all together, so every strand of spaghetti is well coated. Serve with a little grated Parmesan on top and garnish with some chopped Italian parsley.

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.

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.

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!)