Heaps of Houseguests

What a whirlwind these last few weeks have been!  With an old culinary school friend staying here for ten nights, plus another visitor to boot, for five of those ten, and then two more surprise guests who, with hardly a night in town on their haphazard cross-county trip, stayed not nearly long enough – well with all these extra bodies, our already cozy apartment was for a while downright snug.  And our days were just as crowded as our little apartment, the hours packed full of neighborhood tours, downtown sight-seeing and eating all around the city, at all the best Chicago spots.  Wanting to share with our friends our favorite foodie places, we hardly ate a bite at home the entire time.  But on this one night, about half way through our crowded week, we snuck in a nice and homey dinner party. 

Lemon & Thyme Roasted Halibut Ratatouille Mashed Red-Skinned Potatoes with Green Onions & Goat Cheese       Glazed Pear & Walnut Cake

Ratatouille is a summertime staple around here.  This time of year, I make it every other week or so, usually as a vegetarian dinner, and serve it atop a bed of nutty brown rice, chewy quinoa or a spin on mashed potatoes kinda like the ones above.  But on this night, I was in the mood for something a little more substantial, and decided to fishify our favorite summertime meal.  

And so I added to the mix some lovely white fillets of halibut.  Drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, then roasted atop fresh sprigs of thyme and thin slices of lemon, this meaty yet wonderfully flaky fish was imbued with the delicate citrus and heady herb flavors.  A simple preparation, subtle yet elegant, and delightfully delicious. 

Although you could consider it a demotion, from a main course down to a side dish, I still think the ratatouille was the star of tonight’s meal.  Thin spicy strips of sautéed onions, tender cubes of purple-skinned eggplant, sweet ribbons of sliced bell peppers, green-rimmed half moons of zucchini, seedy red cherry tomato hemispheres, a touch of garlic, a swig of extra-virgin olive oil, a pinch of licoricey fennel seed, sprinkle of flowery thyme, dash or fresh oregano and shower of tender green basil.  A perfect distillation of a late summer harvest.  Like a vegetable garden in a bowl, all ready for the eating.

Another great dish worthy of more than its status as a simple side are these wonderful mashed potatoes. With their earthy specks of pretty red skins, creamy swirls of pale white goat cheese and silky slivers of spicy green onion, they’re absolutely, positively sensational.  I just love them.  And ah, I’m so glad I made lots of these lovely mashers, because along with some surplus ratatouille, they made for some pretty glorious left-overs throughout the next few busy days of houseguest hosting!

And now, finally, dessert.  A new dessert, one I made for the first time this week.  And one I know I’m going to make again and again in the future.  This glazed pear and walnut cake was simply incredible, moist and sumptuous with a dense yet tender crumb.  Crowning the  top and dripping decadently down the sides, a buttery caramel sauce.  And inside, gleaming gems of crystallized ginger, tiny pieces of cracked walnuts, a hint of warm cinnamon and tender, juicy slices of Bosc pear. 

Wow oh wow, one bite and I was in dessert heaven.  I’m so glad I decided to try this cake, and I definitely can’t wait to make it again.  I think the next time someone invites us over for dinner, this will have to be that something I offer to bring!

Lemon & Thyme Roasted Halibut Serves  4     4 6-oz fillets of halibut about 1 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil 1 lemon 4-8 sprigs fresh thyme kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste   Preheat the oven to 450°F and arrange a rack in the middle position.    Slice the lemon in half cross-wise.  Cut thin slices from one half of the lemon, saving the other half for later.  Evenly arrange the sliced lemon and thyme sprigs over a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Season the halibut fillets with salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil.  Using your hands, gently rub the olive oil evenly over the surfaces of the fish.  Arrange the fish over the bed of sliced lemon and thyme sprigs.  Bake until just cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.  Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon half over the baked halibut.  Serve warm.

 

 

Ratatouille Serves  6     4 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 large yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped 1/4 tsp fennel seeds 1 medium-large eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3-4 cups) 2 medium red, orange or yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and thinly sliced 3 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise then cut into thin slices 2 pints cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise 2 tsp fresh oregano leaves, roughly chopped 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste     Heat a very large sauté pan over high heat for about a minute.  Lower the heat to medium, add 2 Tbl olive oil and heat about 30 seconds longer.  Add the sliced onions.  Season generously with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are just turning tender, about 7 minutes.  Add the garlic, thyme and fennel seed and cook, stirring frequently, for another 2 minutes.  Add the remaining 2 Tbl olive oil and stir to combine.  Add the eggplant.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant softens slightly, about 8 minutes.  Add the bell pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.  Add the zucchini, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 7 minutes.  Stir in the oregano and basil.  Taste, then season as needed with salt and pepper.     Serve warm.  The ratatouille can be kept refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to five days.  Reheat before serving.

 

 

Mashed Red-Skinned Potatoes with Green Onions & Goat Cheese Serves  6     2 pounds large red-skinned potatoes 2 Tbl butter 1/2 cup heavy cream 5 oz goat cheese 1 bunch green onions, finely sliced kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste   Rinse the potatoes in cool water.  Peel the potatoes, leaving small areas of the red skin here and there.  Cut the potatoes into medium-sized chunks.  Add to a pot of boiling salted water and cook until tender.  Drain, then add back to the pot.  Add the butter, and mash with a potato masher, leaving a few lumps.  Add the cream and goat cheese, season with a good pinch of salt and a good few grinds of pepper, and mash until just combined.  Add the sliced green onions to the mashed potatoes and mix well to combine.  Serve hot. If you want to make this ahead and keep it warm, scoop the mashed potatoes into a metal mixing bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.  Place the bowl over a sauce pot filled with about an inch of water, and place the pot over low heat to keep the water at a simmer and the potato mixture warm. Make sure the bowl fits well over the pot – the diameter of the bowl shouldn’t be much larger than that of the pot.

 

 

Glazed Pear & Walnut Cake Adapted from a recipe on Epicurious.com Serves  8-10       For the cake: butter, for greasing the cake pan 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp plus 1/8 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped 1/2 cup crystallized ginger, chopped 1 cup plus 2 Tbl granulated sugar 3 eggs 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 Tbl plus 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 pound Bosc pears (about 2 medium pears), peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice   For the glaze: 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 cups pear nectar 1 cup whipping cream   Pre-heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle position.   Generously butter a 9-inch spring-form cake pan, then dust it with flour.  Set aside.   In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.   In a separate small mixing bowl, toss the walnuts and crystallized ginger with 1/4 cup of the flour mixture.  Set aside.    Using an electric stand mixer fitter with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, eggs, oil and vinegar on high until very thick, about 4 minutes.  Add the remaining flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix on low speed until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.  Add the diced pears and walnut-ginger mixture to the batter.  Mix by hand with a rubber spatula to combine.    Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.  Bake until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.   About half-way through the baking time, make the glaze:  Combine the sugar, pear nectar and cream in a small saucepot.  Place over high heat and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves.  Boil until thick, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.    Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack set over a wide sheet of parchment paper, wax paper or foil. Carefully run a sharp, thin knife along the sides of the cake, just against the pan, then gently remove the spring-form rim.  Spoon a half cup of the glaze (it should still be hot) over the cake (which should also still be hot), reserving the rest of the glaze for serving.  Let the cake cool completely.    Slice the cake into wedges.  Re-warm the sauce over low heat.  Spoon the glaze over the cake slices and serve.     The cake and glaze can be made one day ahead.  Cover the cake with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature.  Refrigerate the glaze in an airtight container.

Sometimes That’s All it Takes

Soup and bread and cookies.  Sometimes that’s all it takes to throw a fantastic dinner party.  But you’d better make darn sure you’ve got a sensational soup, brilliant bread and downright crazy-good cookies.  And this menu definitely satisfies all three stipulations:

White Bean-Kale-Chorizo Soup ‘Ralph & Bill Bread’   Cinnamon-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

Our dinner guest for this simple yet satisfying Monday night meal – my lovely cousin Katelyn, whom you’ll probably remember from a couple other dinner parties.  With busy schedules and lots of out-of-town trips, we hadn’t seen Katelyn all summer.  Luckily, this casual get-together gave us plenty of opportunity to catch up with a good long chat, thanks in no small part to the easy menu, which required no last-minute work at all.  In fact, everything was done and ready to go hours before Katelyn even arrived.  Who wouldn’t love a dinner party like that?!

Let’s start with the soup.  This heartwarming concoction is one of our favorite, favorite soups.  It’s just packed full of all sorts of deliciousness – plump and creamy Cannellini beans, large green curls of tenderly wilted kale, juicy slices of smoky Chorizo sausage, sweet specks of sautéed onions and red peppers.  But best of all, the broth.  The golden elixir is full of delicious, invigorating flavor - smooth garlic, earthy paprika, floral bay, heady saffron, and a tart kick of sherry vinegar, all woven through a savory chicken stock.  Each bite fills your mouth with a rich, full smoothness, and sends a warm wave of coziness through your veins.  The flavor is simply addictive – absolutely luscious and undeniably wholesome, with harmonious hints of spicy, sweet, sour and salty hitting all your taste buds in unison.  It’s at once wholly decadent and fully nourishing.  Just one spoonful, and you’ll instantly feel good about the world.

Aside from a deep bowl and a big spoon, such a hearty soup as this needs little else.  But a crusty wedge of warm home-baked bread is certainly a nice touch.  Especially this bread, ‘Ralph & Bill bread’ we call it, because like lots of my favorite recipes, this one comes from their kitchen.  It’s actually a recipe from the Sullivan Street Bakery in NYC, but by the time we found that out, the given nickname was already an ingrained habit.  And so it sticks, our favorite bread, forever dedicated to our dear friends Ralph & Bill.  

 

To be honest, I’m not one to slave away in the name of home-baked bread.  All the kneading and waiting and kneading again seems a little silly when there are more than a couple wonderful bakeries just a quick bike-ride away.  But this gorgeous bread is a complete breeze to make, and so worth it.  You’d never guess, based on the incredible flavor, golden crust and airy interior, but whipping up a loaf of this bread takes hardly any effort at all.  Maybe five or ten minutes of your time.  Active time, that is.  It does need to rest overnight, but you’ll be asleep anyways, so who’s to care. 

 

 

There’s a handful of these easy bread recipes out there, like ‘five-minute-a-day’ bread and ‘no-knead’ bread.  They’re getting a lot of attention lately.  I’ve tried a few of them, and I always end up thinking they’re pretty good… for easy bread.  But not compared to the real, knead-and-wait kind of bread.  So as Ralph and Bill baked us up our first loaf, my hopes were not all that high.  One bite proved me wrong though.  And I happily ate my words.  Devoured them, really.  The golden brown crust was crackly yet perfectly delicate, the pale white interior springy and light, the flavor deep and amazingly complex, with notes of honey and earthy yeast.  You’d never in a million years guess that this was one of those ‘easy’ breads.  And you’ll never want to knead and wait again, or even ride your bike to the bakery for that matter. 

 

 

And finally, cookies for dessert.  And these were some pretty awesome cookies!   They were tender and incredibly moist, with sweet hints of brown sugar, smooth streaks of pumpkin puree, specks of plump golden raisins and toasted walnuts, and a heady aroma of  warm autumn spices – cinnamon, cloves and ginger.  Tiny and round, like golden coins, with a shining drizzle of cinnamon-sugar glaze, these delicious cookies could be eaten by the dozen.  To protect us from that all-too tempting fate, we distributed samples to all our neighbors.  The prompt text messages, emails and Facebook wall posts from our gracious apartment-mates all attest that these are some especially stellar cookies!  Try them for yourselves, and be sure to let me know too, what you think!

 

 

White Bean-Kale-Chorizo Soup Serves  8    My apologies to the original creator of this soup, but I honestly can’t remember where this recipe heralds from.  It’s been in my files since long before I was in the habit of keeping track of that sort of thing.            1/2 pound dried white beans (such as Cannellini or Great Northern) 8 cups chicken stock (homemade is best, but Swanson’s certified organic free-range         chicken broth is a close second) 1 bay leaf pinch saffron 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3/4 pound Spanish chorizo sausage, sliced 1/4-inch thick 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1 large red bell pepper, seeded, cored and chopped 1 Tbl paprika 2 small bunches kale, tough stems removed, washed well and torn into large pieces 2 Tbl sherry vinegar kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste      Place the beans in a large bowl and cover by one inch with water.  Let sit overnight.  Drain the beans, discarding the water.  Transfer the beans to a large soup pot.  Add the chicken stock and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer.  Cook, partially covered, and stirring occasionally, keeping it at a bare simmer, until the beans are tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Drain the beans from the cooking liquid.  Reserve both the beans and cooking liquid, keeping them in separate containers.   In a small bowl, combine the saffron with 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.  Set aside.   Heat the olive oil in the soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the chorizo and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate and set aside.  Add the chopped onion to the soup pot.  Season with a good sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and translucent, about 7-8 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer.  Add the red pepper and cook about 4 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the paprika and cook, stirring frequently, about 1 minute more.  Add the kale, cooking liquid and saffron mix to the soup pot.  Cook at a low simmer, stirring occasionally, until the kale is wilted and tender, about 20 minutes.  Taste, then season as needed with salt and pepper.  Add the beans and cook again at a low simmer, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.  Add the chorizo and vinegar, stirring to combine.  Taste again, and season as needed with salt and pepper.  Serve hot.    This soup can be made ahead and kept refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to five days.  Making it a day or two ahead can actually improve the flavor even.

 

 

‘Ralph & Bill’ Bread Adapted from Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery Makes 1loaf     This is one of the easiest bread recipes out there.  And one of the most delicious easy-bread recipes too.  The only tricky thing is you’ll need a Dutch oven, one of those heavy duty enamel-coated cast iron pots.  (This is a great brand, but very expensive.  There are many good less expensive options out there too.)  Aim for a size of about seven quarts or so, but a little smaller or bigger would be okay.  Either round or oval shaped will work.        3 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp yeast 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups water extra-virgin olive oil, for coating the bowl wheat bran or wheat germ, for dusting   The night before:  Grease the insides of a medium-sized mixing bowl with olive oil, and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast and salt.  Add the water and incorporate by hand, making just a few turns of the wrist until everything is combined.  Transfer the dough to the greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest for at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours at room temperature.   The day of (about 3-4 hours before you want to serve the bread): Remove the dough from the bowl and fold it over once or twice, deflating it a bit.  Let it rest for 15 minutes, either on a clean work surface or back in the greased bowl.    Spread a clean, dry cotton towel on the countertop.  Generously coat it with wheat bran/germ.  Place the dough, seam-side down (although there’s really not much of a ‘seam’ so don’t worry about it) on the towel and dust very lightly with flour.  Cover the dough with another cotton towel.  Let rise 1 to 2 hours at room temperature.   After about an hour or so of rising, preheat the oven to 475°F.  Place the a large Dutch oven (about 7 quarts, either round or oval shaped) with its lid into the oven, and let it heat for at least 30 minutes.    Remove the pot from the oven, and remove the lid.  Lifting the dough by the cotton towel, flip it into the heated pot, seam-side up.  Cover with the lid and return to the oven.  Bake with the lid on for 30 minutes.  Then remove the lid and bake 10-20 minutes longer, until the loaf is nicely browned and firm to the touch.   Remove the loaf of bread from the pot, and allow it to cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes before slicing.  Can be kept at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to a day without decreasing in quality too much.

 

 

Cinnamon-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies Adapted from Crescent City Cooking by Susan Spicer  Makes about 6-7 dozen small cookies     For the cookies: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing the cookie sheets 3/4 cup light brown sugar 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 cup pumpkin puree (from a can) 1 cup finely chopped walnuts 1 cup golden raisins   For the glaze: 1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar 1/2 + 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 cup water   Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease cookie sheets with butter and set aside.   In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and baking soda.  Set aside.   Combine the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer.  Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Add the egg and pumpkin and beat again for one minute.  Add the flour mixture, and mix on slow speed just to combine.  Then stir in the walnuts and raisins by hand with a rubber spatula.      Measure tablespoon-sized scoops of dough and drop onto the greased cookie sheets, spacing them about 2-inches apart.  Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown around the edges and tops are set.  Transfer to a wire cooling rack using a metal spatula.  Allow to cool to room temperature.     To make the glaze, whisk together the confectioners sugar, cinnamon and water in a small mixing bowl.  Using a fork, drizzle the glaze generously over the cookies once they have completely cooled.

As Fun as it Gets

Last Friday night’s dinner party was about as fun as it gets. We had over a super cool couple, Becky and Jim.  Becky’s one of my little sister’s oldest friends. I’ve known her since she was basically a baby, and I have about a million memories of her as a little kid.  Almost all of them make my laugh out loud – She was always so fun and cute and funny.  And as I found out this weekend, none of that has changed.  It’d been ages since I’d last seen Becky, I don’t even know how long.  But the moment she and Jim walked through our door, it felt like no time at all had passed.  She was as fun and adorable and hilarious as she ever was.  So while Ben and Jim got in a little male bonding out on the deck, the two of us had a ton of fun catching up in the kitchen.  

Zucchini-Bacon Fritters with Basil Aioli    Grilled NY Strip Steaks Salad of Green Beans, Tomatoes, Arugula & Blue Cheese Twice Baked Red Skinned Potatoes with Chives    Blackberry Cobbler

So now let me fill you in a bit on the happenings in the kitchen.  Along with all our laughs and reminiscing, there was quite a bit more a’ brewing. To start, these all too tasty zucchini fritters: 

I’ve been going crazy with zucchini lately, eating it around the clock, serving it with everything and in every which way, just savoring it completely while it’s still at the height of its seasonal, summery goodness.  Luckily, it’s overall a pretty healthy infatuation.  But not tonight.  On such a fun night as this, healthy zucchini just seemed like a drag.  And so, combined with bits of crumbled bacon, a smattering of sliced chives and a hot kick of minced jalapeño, then folded into a smooth and creamy batter, and plopped spoonful by spoonful into a hot pan of bubbling oil, this wholesome vegetable got the chance to show off a deep-fried naughty side.  These hot, delicious fritters were a perfect late-summer indulgence.  A crisp and beautifully golden crust yielded to a tender, puffy inside generously studded with bits and pieces of tasty goodness.  With a quick sprinkling of salt, this starting snack was near perfect.  But when dipped into the huge flavors and cool creaminess of basil aioli, well that’s when true perfection was reached.

And now onto the main course - steak.  Charcoal grilled, salt and pepper rubbed, New York strip steak to be exact.  Man oh man, how good is grilled steak?!  It’d been ages since we’d last cooked up some big ol’ steaks, so we figured it was high time to do it again, and this time with a summery grilled twist.

It’s hard to put into words just how much I adore the extraordinary combination of steak and blue cheese.  They’re an unbelievable pair.  The steak - with its seared, blackened crust and its lush, pink interior, so tender and incredibly juicy, so perfectly medium-rare – and the blue cheese – its creamy white crumbles streaked with blue ribbons of enormous flavor, sharp and pungent and intensely delicious.  Wow oh wow, nothing could be better! 

This perfect pairing served as a strong inspiration for a first side dish.  I combined huge hunks of blue cheese with bright green spears of tenderly cooked green beans, juicy wedges of heirloom tomatoes (jade- and emerald-striped Green Zebras and a rosy-golden variety I’ve always nicknamed ‘Sunset’ tomatoes) peppery leaves of arugula and a sweet balsamic vinaigrette.  The blue cheese was certainly the principal player in this dish, but the rest of the ingredients came together beautifully, serving as a gorgeous backdrop.  A cool, crisp, bright and flavorful salad, it was a great match for our hot-off-the-grill streaks.  

I felt from the beginning that this was going to be a meat & potatoes sort of night.  And these twice-baked beauties are one of my favorite ways of cooking (or eating) potatoes.  Rather than going with the all too typical, all too large and ugly russet potatoes, I like to use cute little red-skinned potatoes.  A bit more delicate (their thin, waxy skins aren’t quite so tough as russets’ dusty jackets, and so you must be a bit careful when scooping out the insides), but way more charming.  And if you ask me, way more delicious too.  With regular twice-baked potatoes, the rough leathery skins seem pretty pointless – who wants to eat those?  I always end up eating just the insides and leaving the skin behind.  But with these potatoes, the skins are tender and prettily pink, just as lovely as their pillowy, creamy, chive-speckled centers.  And on top of that, they’re just so cute, which if you ask me, is reason enough to abandon the russet. 

And finally dessert – a blackberry-apple cobbler.  A fitting blend of summer (blackberry) and fall (apple).  I’ve found myself in an interesting predicament lately – most of the time aching for autumn, but still savoring those last lingering hints of summer whenever I enter the market.  As excited as I am for the coziness of sweater weather, I’m pretty bummed to say goodbye to such gorgeous stuff as tomatoes and corn and blackberries.  Ah well, soon enough I’ll be properly excited for other gorgeous stuff like butternut squash and apples and pumpkins.  For a while though, I’ll wean myself into fall by following the pattern of this delicious crumble, blending summer’s last bounty with the beginnings of autumn’s harvest. 

 

Zucchini-Bacon Fritters Adapted from Epicurious.com  Makes about 40 fritters, enough for about 6 people    Don’t worry (like I did) if your batter seems too thin.  It should be of about the same consistency as pancake batter.      8 slices bacon about 48 fl oz frying oil, such as vegetable or canola 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/8 tsp cayenne 1 pound small zucchini, chopped into 1/4-inch cubes 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced 2 Tbl chopped chives 1 tsp kosher salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 3/4 cup whole milk basil aioli, for dipping   Heat a sauté pan over medium heat, about 2 minutes.  Add the bacon and cook until the bottom sides are crispy, then flip and continue cooking until thoroughly crisp.  Drain the bacon on paper towels.  Finely chop the bacon, then set aside.     Fill a medium saucepot with about 3-5 inches of frying oil (making sure to leave at least another 3-5 inches of room at the top, so that it won’t boil over when you add the fritter batter). Place over medium-high heat.  Using a candy thermometer to measure the temperature, bring the oil to 350°F.   Meanwhile, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder and cayenne in a large mixing bowl.  In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir to combine the zucchini, jalapeño, chives, salt and pepper.  Add the egg, milk and bacon to the zucchini mixture and stir to combine.  Add the zucchini mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.   Drop small spoonfuls of the batter into the oil, working in batches of about six to eight at a time.  Turn and flip the fritters occasionally, until golden brown all over, about 3-4 minutes.  Continue to keep an eye on the temperature and keep adjusting the heat to maintain the 350°F.  Remove the fritters with a slotted spoon and place on a bed of paper towels.  Sprinkle immediately with kosher salt.  Return the oil to 350°F between batches.    Serve immediately, with basil aioli for dipping.    While best fresh out of the oil, if you’d like do most of the work ahead of time, I’ve found that just a quick re-dipping in the oil crisps them up quite nicely at the very last minute.   Also, if you’d like to save any left-over batter for a day or two, you can.  But make sure to stir in another 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder into the batter before frying.

 

 

Basil Aioli    This recipe is a repeat from a previous dinner party.  (It’s that good!)  Check it out here.

 

 

Grilled NY Strip Steaks Serves  4     4 well-marbled NY strip steaks, about 12-16 oz each kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste vegetable oil, for preparing the grill   For a charcoal grill:  Turn all the burners on high, close the lid, and heat until very hot, about 20 minutes. Here’s a way to tell if your grill is hot enough: Hold your hand right over the grill rack.  If you you can keep it there for five seconds, it’s not hot enough.  If you can’t hold it there for even half a second, it's too hot.  When the grill is hot, scrape the rack clean with a grill brush.  Then soak a clean rag or a bunch of paper towels with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil, and using tongs, rub it over the grill rack.  Leave one burner on high, but turn the rest to medium.   For a gas grill: Light 6 quarts (about 100 briquettes) of charcoal and allow to burn until the coals are fully ignited and covered with a thin ash layer, about 20-30 minutes.  Build a two-level fire by arranging most of the coals on one side of the grill for a hot fire, and the rest of the coals in a single layer on the other side of the grill for a low fire.  Set the grill rack in place, cover with the lid, and heat the grill for about 5 minutes.  When the grill is hot, scrape the rack clean with a grill brush.  Then soak a clean rag or a bunch of paper towels with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil, and using tongs, rub it over the grill rack.  *   *   * Pat the steaks dry with paper towels, then season all over with a good dose of salt and pepper.  Grill the steaks, uncovered, directly over the hottest part of the grill until well-browned on one side, about 3 minutes.  Then flip the steaks over and grill until well-browned on the other side, another 3 minutes or so.  Move the steaks to the cooler side of the grill.  Continue grilling until the desired doneness is reached, 120°F for rare (about 5-6 minutes), 125°F for medium-rare (about 6-7 minutes), 130-140°F for medium (about 8-9 minutes),  150°F for medium-well (about 10-11 minutes) and 160°F for well (about 12-14 minutes).   (It’s always best to go by temperature rather than time!!) Remove the steaks from the grill and allow it to rest, covered with a loose layer of foil, for 10 minutes.  Serve hot.

 

 

Salad of Green Beans, Tomatoes, Arugula & Blue Cheese Serves  6      For the vinaigrette: 1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 Tbl balsamic vinegar  1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped 1/2 small clove garlic, peeled & finely minced 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil  1/4 cup vegetable oil kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste   1/2 pound green beans, trimmed 1 pound heirloom tomatoes, cored and sliced into 1-inch wedges 1/2 pound good-quality blue cheese, crumbled into large chunks 2 cups baby arugula, trimmed kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste   For the vinaigrette: Combine the mustard, vinegar, thyme, garlic, a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Whisk together, and slowly pour in the olive oil, then the vegetable oil, both in a thin stream and whisking as you pour.  The dressing can be made ahead and stored about five days, refrigerated in an airtight container.   Bring a large pot of salted water to a vigorous boil.  (Add enough salt so that the water tastes like the ocean.)  Add the trimmed green beans and boil until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Drain in a colander, then immediately plunge the beans into ice water.  Allow the beans to cool in the ice water, about 1 minute, then thoroughly drain. Slice cross-wise in halves or thirds.  Reserve.   Combine the green beans, sliced tomatoes, blue cheese and arugula in a large mixing bowl.  Drizzle the vinaigrette over the top, just enough to evenly coat. (You definitely won’t not need to use it all – Save the rest for another salad.)  Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.  Serve immediately.

 

 

Twice-Baked Red Skinned Potatoes with Chives Serves  6     6 medium-sized red skinned potatoes 1/2 stick (4 Tbl) butter, plus more for buttering the pan 1/2 cup heavy cream 4 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, grated 1/4 cup plus 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, divided 1/4 cup chopped chives kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper   Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Wrap each potato in a separate sheet of tin foil, then place on a baking pan.  Bake until tender, about 1 hour or longer.  Then unwrap the potatoes and allow them to cool enough to handle.   Slice each potato in half.  Using a melon baller or a round teaspoon, scoop out the inner flesh from the potato and place it into a medium-sized mixing bowl.  Make sure to scoop no closer than about 1/4-inch from the skin of the potato.    Mash the scooped-out potato flesh either by hand or preferably with a potato ricer.  Add the butter, cream, grated cheddar, 1/4 cup parmesan and chives to the mashed potatoes.  Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.    Grease the baking pan with butter.  Arrange the hollow potato halves across the pan.  Fill each potato half with a generous dollop of mashed potato mixture.  Then top evenly with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.  This can be prepared up to four hours ahead.  Let stand at room temperature.     Return to the oven and bake until the potatoes are hot throughout and the tops begin to turn golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Serve hot.

 

 

Blackberry-Apple Cobbler Another recipe from my friend Ralph :) Serves  up to 12     4 pints blackberries 4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced 1/3 cup plus 2 Tbl granulated sugar, divided 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder good pinch of kosher salt 1 stick (8 Tbl) butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, room temp, plus more for buttering the pan 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbl heavy cream, divided   Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Generously butter a 9x13-inch casserole dish.    In a large mixing bowl, toss the blackberries and sliced apples with 1/3 cup sugar.  Transfer to the buttered casserole dish.  Set aside.    In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder and pinch of salt.  Add the cubed, softened butter, and using a pastry blender, cut in into the flour mixture, working until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Add 3/4 cup cream and mix with a rubber spatula, to form a sticky dough.  Divide the dough into 12 egg-shaped balls.    Arrange the dough balls evenly over the fruit in the casserole dish, in rows of 3 by 4.  Brush the surfaces of the dough with the remaining cream, then sprinkle with the remaining 2 Tbl sugar.       Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is soft and juicy.  Let stand 15 minutes before serving.  Serve hot or at room temperature, preferably with vanilla ice cream.