Although eggplant isn’t going to win any beauty awards, it is probably the most versatile veggie on the market. I can’t think of any way that you can’t cook it. You can steam, boil, bake, broil, grill, chop, mash and slice it
I seldom go back and make recipes from my old books, because I am too busy creating new ones for classes. For me, the fun of cooking is in creating, not repeating.
The culmination of possibly the worst year in our lives is upon us and rather than end it on a down note, I am sharing an upscale recipe to ring in the new year on a high one. 2021 is going to be a much better year and these marvelous crab appetizers will come in handy for all the times you get together with friends to make up for this last one.
Sheltering-in has given me a different career opportunity, which I feel extremely blessed to have. There is nothing that gives me more fulfillment or makes me happier than teaching cooking and I couldn’t be doing it on Zoom without all your support. I love the time we spend cooking together virtually and hope my classes will continue when our worlds open up.
I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading and sharing my newsletter and to those of you taking my classes, my deepest thanks and appreciation. You have brought much light into a dark year.
May 2021 be a year of sanity and good health. New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to open a bottle of champagne. These delicious crostini were meant to be enjoyed with a great glass of bubbly.
Crab Toasts with Smashed Avocado and Bloody Mary Aïoli
8 oz. jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over
1/2 teaspoon + 1-1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1-1/2 tablespoons. + 1-1/2 tablespoons + 1-1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ripe avocados
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped red chili, such as Fresno or jalapeño; plus more for garnish, if you like
1/3 cup mayonnaise, or more if you like
1-1/2 tsp. tomato paste
3/4 tsp. hot sauce, such as Tabasco; or more to taste
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
24 thin slices baguette
1 clove garlic, halved
1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
1. In a medium bowl, gently toss the crab with 1/2 teaspoon of the lemon zest and 1-1/2 Tbs. of the lemon juice. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside. This can be prepared several hours ahead.
2. In a small bowl, mash the avocado with another 1-1/2 Tbs. lemon juice and the chile; season well with salt and pepper.
3. In another small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, tomato paste, the remaining 1-1/2 tsp. lemon juice and 1 teaspoon zest, the hot sauce, and Worcestershire. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This can be prepared a day ahead, if desired.
4. Position an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on medium. Toast the baguette slices on a rimmed baking sheet, flipping once, until lightly toasted. Rub each toast with the cut side of the garlic clove.
5. To serve, spread a generous amount of mayonnaise on each toast. Top with the avocado mash and the crab. Sprinkle with the dill and more chili, if desired, and serve.
Serves 8.
This recipe is adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine.
I call these make-your-own biscotti, because once you’ve made the basic batter, you can flavor it as you wish and stir in any additions you like.
I admit, these will never replace potato latkes. But, they are much easier to make and offer a nice change of pace. Plus, you won’t need to call in a cleaning crew for your stove when you are through making them. Unlike potatoes, parsnips barely splatter.
When we think of pasta, we usually think tomato or seafood sauces that coat long strands of spaghetti or linguini. Most sauces that coat small, short pasta are very rich, like mac and cheese or quattro fromaggi. Maybe that is why I am so partial to this delicious dish.
I knew I could improve on the one I had just done. So I began experimenting.
I added vodka to my crust, because alcohol doesn’t increase the gluten or protein in the flour, so it helps pastry remain supple and soft. Then I pre-cooked the apples before adding them to the pie. This makes all the difference in the world. Pre-cooking the apples on the stove before baking them turned a good pie into a great. one.
This simple recipe comes from Jacques Pépin’s cookbook, Essential Pépin. It exemplifies Jacques’ minimum style for maximum taste.
If you haven’t tried making pizza in a cast iron skillet you are in for a wonderful surprise. I usually begin with store bought pizza dough so making the pizza is a breeze.
I wanted to teach this crisp recipe in one of my Zoom classes, because it isn’t complicated and bakes in only 30 minutes. But, after I peeled, cored, halved and chopped the pears, I realized that this takes too long to do on Zoom with people either cooking along or watching.
There is something about being stuck inside during a pandemic that lends itself to making sandwiches, at least for me. I find myself eating them morning, noon and night.
These muffins are loaded with blueberries. Some are smashed while others remain whole. The crumbs are cake like and they have a little crunch from a sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon over the top.
Before peaches and plums disappear this summer, make this delicious salad that promises to make your taste buds sing.
Garlic and shrimp are such a dynamic duo that they’ve been given their own nomenclature, Scampi. Add the sweetness of tomatoes and corn and you triple the shrimp’s goodness.
I’ve had this recipe from Baking Wizard Greg Patent in my files for over a year waiting for peach season. This cake is worth the wait.
This fabulous recipe is adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi. In truth, it isn’t adapted. It is almost verbatim. But there is one difference. At the end of the recipe, Yotam says to serve the salad warm. He gives you no hints whether you can toss it ahead. He just says toss and serve warm.
Looking to add some excitement to that plain everyday burger without too much extra effort or cost? You’ll love how you can ramp up the flavor with the addition of ginger, garlic, soy sauce and topping it off with a very quick and tasty kimchi.
Lighter and silkier than most chowders, this one doesn’t shout corn or shrimp, it simply whispers them.
This crunchy salsa is the perfect topping for Shrimp and Corn Chowder, but it also great with chicken, fish and as a dip.
My first introduction to this recipe was in the New York Times from David Chang’s Momofuku restaurant in the East Village. I immediately was intrigued, because the introduction stated this is a recipe to win the dinner party sweepstakes. The article went on to say that this Korean bo ssam is a remarkably straightforward way to achieve high level excellence with few ingredients.