Tag Archives: recipe

March 13, 2013 · 11:04 pm

recipe: kimchi soup

Having successfully made it through winter without a flu shot or the flu, I was taken aback by a head cold at the beginning of March. Sluggish and phlegmy, but not sick enough to stay home from work, I needed a cure – and fast. Immediately, I thought of a spicy kimchi soup I once tried at Seoul Garden in Korea town.

Since I was sick, I didn’t take the time to research traditional kimchi soups; rather, I based this version off ingredients already in my pantry/refrigerator. I was stunned with how well it turned out, and it certainly sped up my healing process. To boot, I liked it so much that I made a second batch, adding in some leftover pulled pork that I had frozen from my last supper club. What I’ve posted is the basic recipe, but feel free to add extra heat, protein or whatever else strikes your fancy.

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Kimchi Soup

Prep: 5 minutes; Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 cups broth (of choice – I used a combo of chicken and vegetable)
  • 1 head *napa cabbage, roughly chopped (bite size)
  • 1/2 jar kimchi
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/2 jalapeno, small dice
  • 3 oz tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp ginger powder
  • 1/2 tbsp tumeric
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • salt (to taste)

Instructions

  1. Quickly heat tomato paste in the bottom of your soup pot, over medium heat. Add broth and turn to high heat.
  2. Add kimchi, lemon juice, napa cabbage and jalapeno.
  3. Once mixture is fully heated, add ginger powder, tumeric, paprika, salt and stir. (Adjust spices/salt to your personal taste, as needed.)
  4. Heat until stalks of napa cabbage are tender. Serve piping hot.

*Savoy or green cabbage will also work, if napa is not available at your grocery store. (You may notice, in my picture, that I used savoy cabbage, since I couldn’t find napa for my second batch.)

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February 3, 2013 · 10:12 pm

recipe: gluten- and nut-free granola

If you’re a vegetarian, gluten-sensitive, have food allergies or are simply seeking to follow a more health-focused diet, you’re a part of a major movement that is reshaping the way we eat. Working for a cooking school, I have witnessed an increased interest in health-conscious cooking and, more interestingly, have noticed that most of my colleagues are affected by at least one food allergy or intolerance. But rather than “suffer” from food sensitivity, home cooks can take this opportunity to become better informed, to learn about what goes into our food and – at best – to make most of what we eat from scratch.

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So that’s how I arrived at my DIY granola. I had been innocently enjoying a morning pistachio/mulberry mix, when my allergist informed me that I have a mild allergy to certain legumes and nuts – including pistachios. That’s when I realized that the pistachios were the most recognizable item in my granola, and I had no idea what else might be in there.

This granola gets its crunch from seeds, rather than nuts, and coconut chips. The signature (but absolutely optional) ingredient is a spice blend by Lior Lev Sercarz, the master spice blender at La Boîte á Epice. I met Lior at the Institute of Culinary Education, where he was teaching a class inspired by his new cookbook, The Art of Blending. When the class was over, there were a few half-full containers of his spice blends left over, which he encouraged me to take home.

Over the past few weeks, I have sprinkled Lior’s spicy “Shabazi” blend over freekeh with eggs and roasted vegetables with his “Marrakesh”, but spent more time nostalgically sniffing than actually cooking with his French gingerbread-inspired blend, “Reims”. Mixing it into my granola added a savory complexity that goes far beyond cinnamon. In truth, it’s an excellent example of how spice can empower health-focused cooks – a flavorful mission that I think Lior, himself, would fully back.

Gluten- and Nut-Free Granola

Ingredients:

  • 5 cups gluten-free oats*
  • 5 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup coconut chips
  • 3/4 cup golden raisins/craisins
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1-2 pinches of high quality sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp “Reims” spice blend (in lieu of this, you can pass on spice, or add fall/winter baking spices, like cinnamon or “pumpkin pie spice”)

Instructions:

  1. Mix together all dry ingredients.
  2. Add coconut oil, and mix.
  3. Beat egg whites, and add to mixture. Dry ingredients should be lightly coated by oil/egg whites, to the point of just beginning to stick together. You can add more oil/egg white if necessary.
  4. Shape granola into a “donut” on large greased baking pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes on 350 degrees, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking. (The “donut” ensures that you don’t end up with an uncooked middle.)

*Oats are naturally gluten-free, but if you have gluten sensitivities, it is important that they are verified as being produced in a gluten-free environment.

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January 8, 2013 · 12:18 am

recipe: sweet and savory leek kugel

Anyone who has stood over my shoulder in the kitchen can attest that I struggle to follow a recipe. Instinct and creativity derail even my most earnest efforts. In fact, most of the time when I cook, I’m just winging it, grabbing the ingredients that look the best and throwing them together in the way that seems the most fitting or interesting. With all this imaginative initiative, you’d think it’d be easy for me to write a recipe…and you’d be wrong. Making things up on the fly is one thing, but writing down what I did so that someone else can test it out is another beast entirely.

I look innocent, but trust me, I'm recipe off-roading.

I look innocent, but trust me, I’m recipe off-roading.

Needless to say, it takes a gentle push to get me to write a proper recipe, and this week, that motivation was Food52′s “your best leek recipe” contest. The first time I ate leeks was in Paris, and I instantly fell in love with this elegant green legume. The first few times I cooked with leeks, I used the whole vegetable (and it tasted fine to me!), but as time went on I learned to search for the long, slender white stems that make for the best leeks (and started discarding the rougher dark green tops).

A Carly staple: savory leek tart. (This rendition included asparagus and gruyère)

A Carly staple: savory leek tart. (This rendition included asparagus and gruyère)

My favorite way to eat leeks is still in a savory tart. I tenderize mounds of the chopped veg in a little butter, and pile so many leeks atop the crust that there’s barely room to add the egg and dairy binding agents. But for this occasion, I wanted to think outside the box. So my humble offering is a spin on another of my favorite foods: noodle kugel. This mildly sweet noodle dish plays on the flavors and textures of your typical kugel, but adds a savory element that renders it suitable at almost any meal. If you test it out, be sure to tell me your thoughts! (carlydefilippo.com@gmail.com)

Making her recipe debut! Sweet 'n' savory leek kugel.

Making her recipe debut! Sweet ‘n’ savory leek kugel.

Sweet and Savory Leek Kugel

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 4 cups chopped leeks
  • 1 bunch swiss chard, chopped (stems and leaves separated)
  • 1 cup golden raisins
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • zest of 2 lemons
  • 8 oz egg noodles (for gluten-free, follow my lead and use spiral quinoa pasta)
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups high-quality, whole milk ricotta
  • splash of milk
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F.
  2. Soak golden raisins in a glass of boiling water. Add cinnamon and stir. Set aside.
  3. Sautée leeks in 2 tbsp of butter. When just soft, set aside.
  4. In the same pan, sautée chard stems until tender. Set aside.
  5. Drain out most of the water from the cup of raisins. Add remaining raisins and liquid to pan, along with lemon zest and chard leaves. Sautée quickly (don’t let it get overly wilted) and set aside.
  6. Boil pasta until al dente. Strain into a colander, rinsing with cold water to prevent over-cooking.
  7. Whisk together eggs, ricotta, a splash of milk and a generous pinch of both salt and pepper.
  8. Mix all ingredients together, and place in a medium-sized, greased glass baking dish.
  9. Bake for 35 minutes, broil for final 2-3 minutes if you prefer a crunchier “crust”.

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September 30, 2012 · 10:45 pm

recipe: five minute spiced crumble

When people ask me how I make up recipes “on the spot”, I have to admit that most of my inspiration stems from not wanting to waste food. In fact, over the past 5 years, the only ingredient I can recall throwing out was a single head of lettuce, before heading off on vacation.

Great things can happen when you’re trying to be a thrifty and sustainable cook. Just this week, I came home to find a browning pear and a couple of increasingly shriveled figs. But a few minutes on the stove and some Indian-inspired spices turned these sorry looking fruits into one of the most delicious desserts I’ve ever invented.

Five Minute Spiced Pear and Fig Crumble

Ingredients
  • 1 juicy pear
  • 2-3 figs
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 sprig of fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary)
  • a pinch of sea salt (to taste)
  • 2 tbsp of your favorite granola
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin or flax seeds (optional)
  • greek yogurt (optional)
Instructions
  1. Just cover the bottom of a small pot with water; bring to a simmer.
  2. While water is heating, wash and chop pear into small chunks.
  3. Add pear to simmering water.
  4. Wash and chop figs; add to pears.
  5. Add curry, rosemary and salt.
  6. Stir occasionally until fruit is warm and softened (but not mushy).
  7. Remove from heat and scoop fruit into a bowl.
  8. Top with granola, seeds and a dollop of greek yogurt.

**For elegant plating, simply add a small sprig of fresh rosemary.

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August 23, 2012 · 6:41 pm

recipe: egg roll weekend

One of my favorite aspects of food culture is culinary traditions. In my Italian family, there were a number of dishes – like Christmas Eve crab sauce or St. Joseph’s Day zeppoli - that we prepared but once a year. It was these dishes that I dreamed of and still crave today. Yet when it comes the pinnacle of my mother’s cooking, many would point to her egg rolls.

Now, egg rolls are clearly not Italian. So it was always somewhat surprising and hilarious when, each New Years Eve, my mother arrived at the party with a tray of these freshly fried, mystery-meat-free Chinese treats. Over the years, I was inducted into the egg roll assembly line, but when my parents and I started spending our New Years apart, the tradition faded into the background.

That is, until my sister created “Egg Roll Weekend”. At some point, her college friends had gotten wind of the rolls’ lore and legend, and demanded that a tasting be arranged. This year, they celebrated their fifth annual festival of eating these homemade delicacies (while I celebrated my fifth year of cooking them).

If anything, the rolls get more delicious each year, and the word has spread. For the first time, we had to schedule two weekends to accommodate the hungry masses.

We fry the egg rolls in a small electric deep fryer and canola oil, but – in theory – we’ve heard a deep stove-top pan and peanut oil is as good, if not better. You can also bake them if you are scared of frying or trying to be healthy. I find them almost preferable to their greasier, fried cousins.

Egg Roll Wrapping, Step 1: Place 2-3 tbsp of filling inside the egg roll wrapper.

Egg Roll Wrapping, Step 2: Pull the filling toward you and roll forward, folding in the right and left corners as you go.

Egg Roll Wrapping, Step 3: Glue down the final corner of the wrapped egg roll with a bit of raw egg white.

Freshly Fried – or Baked – Egg Rolls

Ingredients
  • 1-2 packages of egg roll wrappers
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 lb shredded pork
  • 1 1/2 lb shredded cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded celery
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 small package of bean sprouts
  • 1 can water chestnuts, chopped fine
  • 1 can bamboo sprouts, chopped fine
  • 1 bunch scallions, chopped fine

Marinade for pork

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tbsp corn starch

Stir-fry seasoning

  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 4 cups canola or peanut oil

Instructions

  1. Mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, canola oil and cornstarch. Marinate the pork in this mixture for 20 minutes.
  2. Slice all veggies accordingly (in Cuisinart or food processor is easiest) while pork marinates.
  3. Mix together sesame oil, salt, sugar and black pepper (“seasoning mixture”).
  4. Heat 5 tbsp of oil in a wok, and stir-fry the pork in small batches, adding a bit of seasoning mixture to each batch, as well as chopped veggies.
  5. Repeat until all of the pork and veggies are cooked. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  6. When mixture has cooled, set out egg roll wrappers as well as a bowl containing a cracked egg.
  7. Lay the wrapper flat, and fill with 2-3 tbsp of the pork/veggies (“filling”).
  8. Pull the filling towards the corner closest to you, and begin to roll the egg roll, folding in the sides like a small envelope.
  9. When you have finished rolling the egg roll, seal the final corner with a bit of egg white.
  10. Bring oil to a steady simmer.
  11. Fry egg rolls carefully, so as to not overcrowd the pan or fryer.
  12. When removing egg rolls from oil, place on a cookie sheet lined with absorptive paper, such as that of brown paper bags.
  13. Serve warm with hot mustard, soy or sweet and sour sauce.
Notes

If you are trying to be healthy, you can actually bake the egg rolls at 375 degrees until golden brown and crunchy. (Start checking them and flipping them over to evenly brown after about 15 minutes. Bake for 20-25 minutes total.)

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August 15, 2012 · 6:15 pm

behind the knives: mardi miskit of brooklyn fork and spoon

Photos by Corry Arnold & Bethany Pickard

Rebecka & Mardi of Brookyn Fork and Spoon

In just over a year, Mardi and her Brooklyn Fork and Spoon co-founder, Rebecka, have turned their amateur culinary ambition into one of the borough’s most celebrated supper clubs. I was lucky enough to attend their Greatest Hits Supper at a historic mansion in Clinton Hill, where I sampled some of the duo’s best dishes to date. 

How did Brooklyn Fork and Spoon get its start?

Rebecka and I met through mutual friends and have always shared a love for cooking. Rebecka chronicles her delicious baked goods on her blog, and I have documented my passion for cooking for the past 2-3 years as well. With her sweet tooth and my love of all things savory, we always thought that it would be fun to collaborate on something.

Ricotta, Red Scallion, Honey & Thyme Bruschetta (Photo by Mardi Miskit)

We discovered the supper club scene through a friend’s site, Underground Dining NYC, and thought the concept was a perfect opportunity to join forces. But when we attempted to check out a few supper clubs ourselves, our RSVP’s were often met with “sold out” emails (I now understand why). So we decided to just go for it. We organized a test run for ten of our friends, traded free dinners for website design, and crossed our fingers. Our friends provided us with some great feedback, and with a few tweaks, we announced our first supper to the public. Now, about a year and a half later, we just hosted our Greatest Hits Supper and met our 200th new face.

How do you think BK Fork and Spoon fits into or is different from the supper club “craze” of the past few years?

Historic mansion ambiance at the Greatest Hits supper

Many guests have commented that they enjoy our laid-back atmosphere, in comparison to other supper clubs they’ve attended, which we attribute to the crowds we attract. We also want to make our dinners affordable, despite our often high food and drink costs, so we suggest a $40 donation. The vegetarian aspect also attracts many people (even the carnivores!). Most people find us through word of mouth – previous guests or local press.

Is there an overall philosophy or style of cooking that you subscribe to?

Backstage salad prep: mesclun greens, toasted pecan, pecorino & truffle vinaigrette

Rebecka and I aren’t vegetarians, but we both eat mostly plant-based diets. (That said, neither of us will hesitate to indulge in a cheeseburger when the craving strikes.) We’re also both huge cheese fiends. I actually don’t like using the word vegetarian to describe our supper club because I tend to associate the word with a lot of fake meat and soy products, which is not the kind of food we prepare.

At Brooklyn Fork and Spoon, I want to share my love for vegetables, grains and legumes and to show people how a meal can be incredibly satisfying without leaving you in a “food coma” (something that many guests have commented on and which brings a big smile to my face). I prepare all of the appetizers and main courses and Rebecka creates all of the desserts, fresh-baked bread or focaccia. We have very different cooking styles, but the meals always seem to fuse together nicely.

What do you wish you knew before starting your supper club?

Serving the main course: mac ‘n’ goat cheese, caramelized shallots, aged gouda

That cooking a family-style dinner for a large group of friends is quite different from plating each dish in a restaurant format. In the beginning, sometimes timing between courses was a bit off, but it’s a great new skill that both of us have since learned.

I also wish I knew that hosting a singles supper would not be as easy as it sounds. The RSVP’s came pouring in from the ladies, but the guys proved to be shy, or just uninterested in an evening of food, wine and single ladies (what gives, fellas?). In the end, we reeled in some dudes, and – while there seemed to be more business networking than romantic connections - the evening proved to be a really fun experience.

What has been the most interesting or unexpected aspect of running BK Fork and Spoon?

Waiting for leftovers at the Greatest Hits supper.

I would have to say the fact that we’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response to our dinners. We set out to do this for fun, but, before we knew it, we were being listed in Brooklyn Magazine‘s “Top 20 Things to Do in Brooklyn This Summer”.  We now sell out suppers in minutes, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

Any anecdotes from dinners gone-wrong or almost-gone-wrong?

At one of our very first suppers, one guest arrived with a less than happy look on his face. We thought he was going to ruin the entire evening, but, by the end of the night, he became the life of the party and even started a little dance party. If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past year, it’s to keep the wine flowing. After a glass or two, the quiet ones start to open up, great conversations ensue, and new friendships are formed.

Advice for those who would like to start a supper club?

Refreshing, seasonal blueberry tarts with coconut whipped cream.

You have to love cooking and more importantly, love cooking for other people. Rebecka and I keep going simply because of our love for it. We find inspiration in meeting new people and watching new relationships form at our dinner table over a meal that we have put our all into.

What’s next?

Once the cooler days kick in, we’d love to look into having a few outdoor suppers. We’ve done a few themed suppers (vegan, gluten-free, breakfast for dinner) and we look forward to throwing in some new twists. We’d also love to start doing some cheese and wine pairings, or perhaps some classes. If anyone is interested in collaborating or offering up their outdoor space to us, don’t be shy!

Any preferred shops/markets that you source from?

We’re lucky to have a great market down the street from us with tons of local produce and quinoa pasta (which I always cook with), so I often pick up much of our food from there. When I’m on the hunt for something more unusual, I’ll bike over to the Greenmarket in McCarrenPark. I was desperate for red scallions for our last supper and, sure enough, I found them there.

When you do eat out, what are some of your favorite local restaurants?

One of my favorite little spots is a place in Greenpoint called EAT. It’s a very small space that serves the most delicious, fresh and simple seasonal dishes. Of all the places I’ve eaten, it reminds me most of the foods we prepare at Brooklyn Fork and Spoon. Another favorite in Greenpoint is Calyer. Their poached parsnips with smoky yogurt and savory granola is one of the most unique and incredible plates I’ve ever come across.

Vibrant and savory – the Red beet and ginger puree

Mardi was also generous enough to share her recipe for my favorite dish that evening, a beet purée that had even the beet-haters swooning.

Red Beet & Ginger Purée

Ingredients
  • 2 medium red beets
  • 1 scallion, chopped
  • 1 one-inch by two-inch piece of ginger, chopped
  • 1/2 cup of vegetable broth
  • 2 oz goat cheese
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • Salt to taste
  • Greek yogurt (to top the purée)
Instructions
  1. Slice ends off of beets and wrap them individually in tinfoil.
  2. Place on a baking sheet in the oven for 40 minutes at 400 degrees.
  3. Remove the beets from the oven, peel off the skin and slice into small pieces. Let cool for a few minutes.
  4. Add beets to food processor along with ginger, vegetable broth, olive oil and scallions. Blend until well pureed.
  5. Add the goat cheese and salt. Blend again.
  6. Pour mixture into bowls and top with a dollop of greek yogurt, a few extra scallions and a sprinkle of cracked pepper.
  7. Serve warm. Enjoy!

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July 30, 2012 · 10:34 am

recipe: all-green smoothie

We’ve all heard about the celebrity following and myriad health benefits of “green juices“. But even for those of us who like the flavor of “musty grass” (as one friend put it), paying upwards of $9-a-pop for the health fix seems absurd. Moreover, the DIY types will tell you that juicers are labor of love (emphasis on labor – they’re obnoxious to clean), and thus often end up on the shelf.  If you’ve gone through all those steps and still want the green stuff, you’ve maybe considered the green smoothie option – typically linked with buying the infamous Vitamix (yup, that’s where I’m at). But the frugal foodie  - and MacGyver – inside me wouldn’t stand for it, so I set off down the green smoothie road with only a mediocre blender at my side. (This isn’t the first time I’ve mis-used my blender for bizarre projects.)

Well, the first batch ended up all over my kitchen - but! – it did work. After a few go-rounds, I worked out the kinks and quickly became addicted to the little suckers. I tested the satiation question last week (this isn’t a cleanse, and I’m anti-starving oneself for any purpose), and after a busy workweek with only green smoothies for breakfast, I can honestly attest they are energy in a cup. Caffeine without the crash. (Basically, I’m a convert…I’m sipping one now.)

Energy in a Cup: All-Green Smoothie

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 3 romaine leaves
  • 5 kale leaves (de-stemmed)
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1-2 tbsp minced ginger
  • 1/4 cup chopped basil
  • 1/4 cup chopped mint
  • Lemon juice/lime juice/unfiltered apple cider vinegar
Instructions
  1. Pour water into your blender.
  2. Finely chop and add to blender (one vegetable at a time) celery, cucumber, romaine, kale, avocado.
  3. Scoop out ripe avocado, blend into mixture.
  4. Add minced/chopped ginger and herbs to mixture.
  5. When you are ready to serve, add acidity to taste: either a healthy squeeze of lemon/lime juice, or – for a probiotic boost – a splash of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar.
Notes/Tips
1. Blend the cucumbers and celery into the water first. This will create a good liquid base that will make it easier to blend in all the other, rougher veggies. (You can use a wooden spoon to pre-mix the rougher vegetables into pre-existing liquid in order to ease the process.)
2. Be easy on your blender, especially if you don’t have a Vitamix. Use the ice-chop/pulse button to break things up before testing the higher settings.
3. Don’t overfill your blender. If you get it more than 2/3 full (unless you are making a very water-y smoothie), you will definitely end up with green juice flying around.
4. Make your smoothies on the thick side for easy conservation. Add lemon/lime/apple cider vinegar and extra water just before eating, to make the texture more drinkable.

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July 11, 2012 · 4:56 pm

recipe: purple cabbage summer slaw

When the weather heats up, I prefer to spend as little time slaving over a hot stove as possible. And when I’ve got a bunch of people to feed, I prefer quick, easy recipes that can sit worry-free in the sun.

I came up with this colorful slaw last summer, when my mom happened to have nothing but half a head of cabbage and a well-stocked pantry/freezer to pull from. It has since become one of my family’s go-to beach day eats.

Purple Cabbage Summer Slaw

Ingredients
  • 1 head of purple cabbage (medium sized)
  • 1.5 cups of frozen peas
  • 1 cup of shelled, frozen edamame
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/3 cup golden raisins
  • Dressing:
    • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
    • 1/3 cup olive oil
    • 2 tsp honey
    • 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
    • 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
    • 1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste)
  • Optional:
    • sunflower seeds
    • pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Instructions
  1. Wash and de-core cabbage. Shred in food processor, or finely chop by hand.
  2. In a large bowl, mix peas, edamame, dried cranberries and golden raisins with cabbage.
  3. Mix together vinegar, oil, honey, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over slaw and mix well.
  4. Let sit until peas and edamame are properly defrosted (10-15 minutes).
  5. Top with seeds and serve.
Notes
You can also serve this slaw over mixed greens (pictured) as a light, but filling, vegetarian salad.

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June 7, 2012 · 11:48 am

ingredient: garlic scapes

Late spring/early summer is – by far – my favorite time at the market. It’s the season for all things green, a brief window before the multi-hued produce of summer hits stands. It’s also a time when I’m likely to find ingredients I’ve never seen before – which is exactly what occurred at the Union Square Greenmarket, when I fell upon garlic scapes.

Garlic Scapes; Photo Credit: Umamigirl.com

I discovered these vibrant green coils between a barrel of string beans and a pile of shallots. Loving all things garlic, I grabbed a few fistfuls and hurried home to do some  research. Apparently, scapes are the flowering stalks of garlic plants, which must be trimmed to allow the bulbs to grow firm and plump. They should be trimmed before they coil more than once, or else they become too fibrous  and spicy.

My first experiment with the scapes involved chopping them into little segments and stir-frying them with baby bok choy. They certainly imparted a pleasant, spicy flavor and crunch, but I didn’t feel they were being used to their best advantage. Next up, I threw them into the pickling brew for a bunch of purple carrots. Again, they served their purpose, but regular garlic might have been better.

Finally, I recalled a video recipe by Kinfolk for ribboned asparagus salad.

At the time, I thought it a beautiful (if slightly tedious) way to prepare asparagus, and mentally filed it away for some special occasion. Upon shredding my first scape ribbon, the kitchen filled with a potent, invigorating garlic odor – and I knew I was onto something.

“Deconstructed Pesto” a la garlic scape and broccoli rabe

You could certainly stop there and serve the pan-fried scape ribbons over pasta, but I was more interested in coupling them with other vegetables. Pesto is one of the more common uses for scapes, which made me think of my pesto-loving father, whose favorite food is broccoli rabe. The final product thus became a sort of deconstructed-pesto dish – beautiful, delicious and surprisingly simple for how fancy it looks.

Garlic Scape Ribbons & Broccoli Rabe

Ingredients
  • 8-10 garlic scapes
  • 1 bunch broccoli rabe
  • 5/6 anchovies
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
  • olive oil
  • grated cheese (optional)
  • lemon (optional)
Instructions
  1. Wash garlic scapes and cut them in half. Using a vegetable peeler, shred the scapes into long ribbons.
  2. Wash broccoli rabe and cut into small pieces. (Only use the parts of the stalk that have leaves/florets).
  3. Heat olive oil in a large pan or wok. Add anchovies to pan.
  4. When oil is hot, add broccoli rabe and garlic scapes. Stir periodically.
  5. After about a minute, toss in the chopped walnuts.
  6. Cook until greens are tender, but the scapes should still be al dente.
  7. Remove from heat, dress with grated parmesan and lemon juice to taste.

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May 2, 2012 · 4:22 pm

recipe: the girls’ guide to puff pastry

Making puff pastry certainly isn’t neuroscience, but it definitely is one hell of a workout. Whether you’re female or simply feeble-armed, this technique will facilitate all the flakiness you need, without the aching wrists and shoulder strain.
 

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The Girls’ Guide to Puff Pastry

Ingredients
  • 1 cup Gold Medal flour
  • 3 cups King Arthur flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 extra large egg
  • 1 1/3 cups water
  • 1 pound unsalted butter, slightly softened
Instructions
  1. Mix flour, salt, and 1/2 stick of softened butter in a KitchenAid or other standing mixer, using the blade attachment.
  2. Crack an egg into a liquid measuring cup. Fill the cup, still containing the egg, up to 1 1/3 cups of water. Add to Kitchen Aid.
  3. When dough forms, switch to the dough hook attachment and knead for 5 minutes.
  4. Shape dough into a ball and let rest, covered, for 15-20 minutes.
  5. While dough is resting, cut the remaining pound of butter into thin slices (about four lengthwise slices per stick of butter).
  6. Cut a sheet of wax paper 18 inches long and cover with butter slices. Cover with another 18 inch sheet of wax paper. Roll butter into a 12 x 16 inch rectangle, using rolling pin. Chill.
  7. Roll out rested dough into a large rectangle. Chilled butter should fill up about 1/2 to 2/3 of the dough.
  8. Place the butter in the center of the dough and fold into thirds.
  9. Roll out dough again and fold the dough “book fashion” (fold in ends to touch in the center, then close the “book”). Wrap the dough in wax paper and chill.
  10. Repeat the rolling out/book fold process four more times, chilling the dough in wax paper for 30 minutes between each rolling. Beware butter oozing out of the dough and fold all corners squarely.
  11. After last folding, chill at least 3 hours before use.

*The credit for this recipe goes to Betty Ann Donegan, long-time cooking teacher and chemist. She uses two different types of flour because the amount of gluten in flour determines the stiffness of the dough. Her recipe allows for a durable but flexible dough.

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