Nightcap

13 Oct

This recipe is pretty loose- so play around with it- it is a cocktail after all.  If you don’t have something on the list, don’t worry about it.

Sprinkle of nutmeg
Sprinkle of cloves
Pinch of cinnamon
tiny bit of butter
Couple pinches of brown sugar
2 drops of vanilla extra
tiny bit of maple syrup
milk
dark rum (i think burbon would work nicely too)

In a saucepan, heat some milk.  Watch it- be careful not to burn or bubble over. Put butter in mug- soften in microwave- for 10 seconds.  Add spices and sugar, mix in.  Add a generous splash of rum. Add hot milk.  Add vanilla and syrup.  Keep seasoning to taste.  Enjoy.

Butternut Squash Soup

12 Oct

A perfectly fall soup. For those of you with abundant CSA shares, this is a great way to use your squash and apples. The apples make it a little sweet and the curry a little spicy.  I topped mine w. some grated apple and toasted butternut squash seeds.  You will need a food processor, a blender or a food mill.  According to America’s Test Kitchen, a blender is the best way to go— but as I don’t have one, I used a food processor.

Adapted from Ina, the Barefoot Contessa
3 to 4 pounds butternut squash (about 2 medium/small squash), peeled and seeded (save seeds for toasting)
2 yellow onions
2 apples (it says core and peel- but I did not bother peeling)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2-4 cups chicken broth (can substitute veg stock)
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (I used 1 teaspoon)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425.
Chop butternut squash, onions and apples in 1-inch chunks.  Toss with olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Split among 2 baking sheets- spreading vegetables in a single layer. Bake for 35-45 minutes until vegetables are very tender.  Meanwhile, heat stock to a simmer.  When vegetables are done, put them in food processor/blender/mill and add a couple ladles of stock.  Process in batches.  Add soup back into a pot.  Stir in a couple ladles of stock.  Let it absorb– and add some more– stopping when you have the consistency you want- should be a thick soup.  Add curry powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Taste for seasonings, be sure there is enough salt to bring out curry flavor.  Can top w. a couple grates of apple.

To toast butternut squash seeds– place on baking sheet.  Add some olive oil and sprinkle liberally w. salt.  Toast for about 7 minutes.  While these taste good on the soup, I like to just to snack on them.

banana bread

5 Oct

This is another fantastic recipe from Mrs. Weiner.  It seems like every time I go to Rachel’s house, her mother has two loaves of this cooling on the counter.  So when I had a craving for banana bread, I knew just who to ask for a recipe.  Since I am not so into walnuts, I left out the topping.  But I decided to throw in some chocolate chips– because, i mean, how good does that sound?  Interesting tip from Ina (I’ve been made fun of for always referring to the barefoot contessa as if we were actually friends)- toss chocolate chips in a pinch of flour- this keeps them from falling to the bottom of the batter.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 medium-size very ripe bananas, mashed
coarsely chopped walnuts for topping (optional)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.

Cream butter and sugar and work together until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and vanilla, beating well. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.  Add to the creamed mixture until well combined. Fold in the mashed bananas. In a small bowl, toss choc chips with a big pinch of flour. Add choc chips into batter.  Pour the batter into the greased pan.  If desired, cover the top with chopped walnuts.  Bake 60 minutes until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then cut around the sides and remove the bread to a rack to cool completely.

drunken spaghetti

3 Oct

Charlotte, Phil and I were all set to go to the Adirondaks for the wknd. We got about 20 blocks when phil- being phil- noticed a problem w the car and decided to investigate. As it turned out, the shocks were all fucked up- and we could literally see the road looking down from inside the car. Thinking it was best not to embark on a 5 hour road trip, we decided to head back to char & phil’s UES pad, and make the best of the evening.  Enter drunken spaghetti. At 11pm, Char trekked to bodegas and beyond seeking pecorino and broccoli rabe (which she, not jokingly, pronounces broccoli rape).  Three bottles of wine– and a fourth one to boot in the spaghetti– this made for a damn good second dinner.  ps. this would be a great thing to make if inviting a date over- very impressive yet totally easy.

adapted from Michael Chiarello’s Bottega
1 pound spaghetti
1/3 cup olive oil
1-1/2 pound broccoli rabe
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic (about 4 cloves)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 bottle dry red wine, Zinfandel recommended (we used merlot and worked fine)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese
1 tablespoon butter

Boil salted water in big pasta pot. Add broccoli and cook for 3 min. Remove w slotted spoon and place on baking sheet. Bring same water back to boil, add spaghetti and cook for 4 mins. Pasta will still be a little crunchy- will cook more in wine. Drain pasta reserving 1 cup of pasta water. In the now empty pasta pot, add whole bottle of wine and 1 tablespoon sugar. Cook on high until reduced by half, 8-10 mins (smells so good, ps). Add spaghetti back into reduced wine, keep cooking and stirring as wine begins to absorb and color pasta- about 4 mins. Watch out the pasta is not getting overcooked here. Meanwhile, pour oil into a skillet, add garlic and saute until golden brown. Add chili flakes, broccoli, salt and pepper. Saute for a few minutes.  (And here is where we add our special touches).  Add a 1/4 cup of leftover wine sauce, if u have it, and 1/4 cup pasta water. Simmer for a few mins. Add butter and some grates of pecorino. Simmer.  Remove broccoli and garlic w a slotted spoon and add to spaghetti. Now, we are going to thicken the leftover liquid. Add more pecorino- turn heat on high and continue to reduce sauce for a couple min until it thickens a little. So much flavor in this! Dish out pasta- spoon some of that thickened extra sauce on top and sprinkle some grated pecorino.  Bon appetit!

Addendum: I just made this for the second time. As I was clearly a little drunk when I made this the first time- I definitely over complicated it.  This time, I took the rigatoni out while crunchy.  I only used a half a bottle of wine- because that is what I had. Then cooked it for the full few minutes in wine and it all absorbed.  Saute the garlic etc in oil as above.  After a few minute- optional add some cheese and butter (i left out this time to be vegan and tasted fine). Then add all of mixture to pasta.  Done.

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chick, cran & brie sandwich

1 Oct

When I was studying abroad in New Zealand, I would sit in my favorite coffee shop, Governor’s, write in my journal and listen to ben harper (come on, we all did it).  But what I really loved there– was the tastiest lunch– a hot caramel (like hot milk and caramel) and a chick, cran & brie sandwich.  Chicken, cranberry and brie is a very popular combination in NZ– available everywhere, even as a pizza topping.  But, my favorite way to have it– is in a toasty sandwich.

A quick note about roasting chicken.  While this might seem like a lot of effort for lunch, roasting chicken is super easy.  I learned how to do it from Barefoot Contessa.  Before her, I was seriously intimidated by making chicken, and was always overcooking it. The main reason this would happen, is that I was constantly cutting into it, asking- does this look pink?  The easiest way to get around this concern, is to invest in a meat thermometer, which you can get for $5.  They say chicken breast should read 170 degrees.  But really, if you are over 150, you are more than fine.  Also, you will know the chicken is done when you poke into and the juices run clear.  IF you are really really lazy- deli turkey works fine for this sandwich too.

2 split chicken breasts, on the bone w. the skin on
olive oil
salt & pepper
cranberry sauce (i have Sarabeth cranberry relish)
brie
bread

Too cook chicken breasts– bone in, skin-on
Preheat oven to 350.
Wash chicken breasts.  Pat dry.  Place skin side up on baking sheet.  Rub with olive oil.  Liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.  Cook for 35 minutes.  Wait until chicken is cool enough to touch.  With your hands, take off skin and the breast off bone.  Shred with your hands or cut w. a knife if you prefer.

Assemble sandwich. Spread cranberry sauce on bread.  Add a couple slices of brie.  Add some chicken.  Toast sandwich.  Making this at home, I recommend cooking this grilled cheese style– butter the outside of the bread and throw it in the frying pan.  At work, I’ll just put in the toaster oven.

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