Vegetables
Pecan-Crusted Monkfish with Bourbon Corn & Roasted Tomatoes
The idea for this dish came out of “left field,” aka: that beautiful place from which all of my favorite experiences, people and creations wander forth (cue James Earl Jones’ voice over). I woke up last Friday morning with an unusual flavor tickling at my mouth: hints of toasty cumin, bright chilies and rustic vegetables. The idea sat with me curiously all morning. It built Pinocchio strings across my brain and pulled at them, wanting to become alive. Driving to a rock show late at night, I continued testing out ideas in my head. For...
read morePeach, Walnut & Beet Ravioli with Rhubarb Butter
My day started at the farmer’s market. Well, actually it started with a hangover, followed by the grouchy realization that I needed to bring my car to the shop for a pricey operation. But, after that, it started at the farmer’s market. Still quite fuzzy and unsteady from the aforementioned hangover, and at this point, uncaffeinated, I ran around the market, tasting various types of lettuces, homemade jams and about 800 calories worth of various cheeses on toothpicks. Standing in front of some root vegetables and feeling inspired by the...
read moreRoasted Eggplant Soup with Feta & Basil Dumplings
In this soup, eggplant, tomatoes, garlic and fennel are roasted together to create a beautiful, lightly creamy base. Then, a fried wonton-dumpling, stuffed with fresh basil and goat cheese, elevates the dish with its crispy texture and fresh flavor burst. This soup is easy to prepare, great for a fall dinner party and makes a spectacular presentation. As you can see in the pictures, I served this soup with 1 wonton per dish. However, I like the idea of serving this as a main entrée and using 2-3 wontons per bowl. Soup Ingredients: 6...
read moreSpinach and Wild Mushrooms
Anyone who has tried truffle mushrooms knows that they’re a holy substance, and priced accordingly. Truffle oil packs the flavor of truffle mushrooms into a small bottle that costs anywhere from $10-20 and can last for years (like saffron, a little bit goes a long way). I bought mine at Whole Foods, but sometimes you can score a good deal in the kitchen sections of TJ MAXX or Home Goods (I know, weird, right?) I made this dish to go with my family’s Thanksgiving dinner and it was a huge hit: simple, delicious and an equally flavorful...
read moreBeet Risotto with Goat Cheese & Salted Kale
There are two glaring reasons why I’ve never made risotto:1) I’ve been tricked into ordering risotto three times in my life, each time expecting to finally see the magic in this sticky, monochromatic, cheesy blob. Each time I’ve only felt more disappointed, foolish and disenchanted. 2) Risotto is the dish that famously gets people sent home on Top Chef. So, in other words, if the nation’s top chefs can simultaneously burn a perfectly good cooking pot and a shot at $100k while making it, then the dish is 100% trouble and not worth...
read moreSwiss Chard & Raisin Tarte
This is my original take on Tourte aux blettes, a sweetened swiss chard tarte that’s been popular in France since the 14th century. There are may variations on this dish but the constants are chard, eggs, cream, some type of fruit and some type of nut. Essentially, when I say “original take” or “adapted” recipe, it means that I’ve made something a bunch of times, each time adding to my list of things that could make the dish more awesome, and then eventually editing that list down to a workable recipe. Below is the final...
read moreSpicy Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce
Even if you’ve only learned about Italian culture from staple mafia movies “Goodfellas” and “The Godfather,” you know that the concept of “respect” (earning, giving, exemplifying) is essential. And, while I wouldn’t use these movies as a teaching tool about Italian life, business, relationships, etc., I do think the lesson of “respect” extends VERY well to Italian food. Think of the process of cooking the following staple Italian dishes:1) a beautiful caprese salad (thickly sliced tomatoes and crisp basil leaves) 2)...
read moreSweet Pea & Pesto Envelopes with Roasted Tomato Sauce
I’ve always thought of ravioli as tiny, warm envelopes of wonderment. This recipe tastes the reference literally by creating small enveloped of pea and pesto puree. Milder than an actual pesto but similar in color, this filling makes for a beautiful green surprise on the plate. I served this recently alongside my roasted tomato/sausage sauce, and I thought the smokiness of the sauce really complimented the freshness of the filling. Additionally, the bold sausage paired nicely with the sweet (almost innocent texture) of the peas....
read moreChinese Cucumber Salad
I’m not sure why, but people seem very judgmental and ill-informed about the whole business of pickling. I mean, when you get down to it, “a pickled vegetable” is really just a vegetable that someone has poured vinegar over and then walked away from for a few minutes. Yeh, that’s all. It was only in a recent conversation with my mother, during which her reaction to pickling was “oh, that’s gonna take FOREVER,” that I became aware of the misconception. As if pickling is a task that is culturally united with basket...
read morePickled Mustard Greens
I’m not gonna lie. When I went to the Asian grocery store and found the “prepared mustard greens” in the refrigerated section, they looked like a bag full of some mangled swamp creature. Basically, they’ve been pre-preserved in some way so they can sit on a shelf indefinitely, awaiting transformation. My main thought was “these are probably gonna taste like shit.” Well, after a couple good baths and a splash of vinegar here and there, these mustard greens turned out to be pretty darn spectacular. I served them as a side...
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