When it comes to salads, I fall into extreme camps. Either dress them up with countless ingredients or keep them ridiculously simple. I rarely make the latter option at home, usually because I am trying to empty out my produce drawer. But, after a lunch at Zuni Café a few weeks ago, I had been craving a great basic salad. And, I just happen to own the Zuni cookbook, which features a great selection of salad recipes. This is a salad that is best plated, but may also be served in a large bowl. Make sure to dress the salad right before serving.

Baby Greens with Garlic Chapons and Simple Vinaigrette

Adapted from the Zuni Café Cookbook

Ingredients

• A selection of baby lettuces, preferably a mesclun. Look for dandelion greens, frisée, arugula, baby spinach, etc. The mix should be slightly (although not too) bitter.
• A baguette or pugliese loaf, preferably a day old.
• Good quality olive oil.
• Good quality red, champagne or sherry vinegar.
• Salt (preferably fleur de sel/sal).

It goes without saying that, with any recipe (especially one so simple), you should try and find the best quality ingredients you can get your hands on. This will not always be possible, of course, which is just fine. When I made the salad shown I used a bagged baby greens mix and store-brand olive oil. Ideal? Perhaps not. But still delicious!

Step 1 – Garlic Chapons

• “Chapon” is code for “fancy crouton.” These are more oily and crunchy that croutons, however, and lend a nice texture to the salad.
• Slice strips off a loaf of bread, aiming for 1/4 to 1/8 thickness. Do not worry if the pieces break or are not uniform in thickness.
• Brush each side with olive oil, salt lightly and bake at 350 degrees until brown around the edges (5-8 minutes).
• Remove from the oven and let cool.

Step 2 – Greens

• Pick out any greens that look old. Wash if needed, but ensure that your greens are 100% dry before dressing.
• Ensure the greens are room temperature, tossing in a slightly warmed bowl if necessary.

Step 3 – Dressing the Salad

• Making a vinaigrette is a great motivation to put your olive oil and vinegars in small squirt bottles. It’s difficult to control the flow of liquid from large bottles of oil and vinegar, and a slip of the wrist can require you to add more greens (at best) or ruin your salad (at worst).
• Crumble a few chapons onto a serving bowl/plate and add a portion of greens.
• Lightly dress the greens with oil and salt. Taste.
• Add a small amount of vinegar (remember, you can always add more). Taste.
• Continue to taste and dress your salad until it reaches your desired balance.
• Clean around your plate/bowl edges and serve.

My friend Kaitlin turned me onto sherry vinegar a few years back (when it was enjoying its culinary heyday) and I highly suggest using it over the red or champagne varieties. It has a much subtler flavor.

In my CSA box this past week, I received an ingredient that is new to me; green garlic. At first glance the long green stalks, that bleed into rhubarb red before their opaque bulbs, look like a cross between a leek and a Mexican onion. They are, in fact, simply bulbs of garlic that have not fully matured. When you slice into the bulb, you can see where the cloves were developing, and crosswise it looks much like a shallot.

I sliced the bulbs as thinly as possible, and they fell off the knife like tissue paper. The smell was subtle, like a blend of garlic and leek, but not as strong. When cut, the stalks smelled a lot like chives. I used the garlic in a stir fry, but I am hoping I receive this ingredient again, as I never see it in local markets.

Have you ever cooked with green garlic?

{ ming makes cupcakes }

I hit up my favorite produce stand this afternoon and very nearly yelped with joy when I saw they had flats of strawberries and beautiful artichokes.

I have been craving strawberries like it’s nobody’s business, which is good because the other things I am craving are ramen and Doritos.

And, there’s nothing quite as lovely as a perfectly steamed artichoke with lemony aioli.

If you ever find yourself in Northern California, perhaps driving from the bay area to Napa, please stop at Pedrick Produce, just outside of Dixon and right off the freeway. It’s cheaper than many of the larger stands that are always flooded by tourists. And, they have the most wonderful bulk candy and are always well-stocked in selections from Bogle, a great central-valley winery.

Confession, I don’t really care for baking. It’s too precise and time-consuming for my tastes. I do, however, like to eat baked goods. Love to eat them.

I had been hearing rumblings about monkey bread for a few months before finally giving it a try. The catalyst? Why, Deb from Smitten Kitchen, of course. She makes everything look good. She’s a culinary pusher.

I lust after her recipes and, even more, her photography. Her monkey bread recipe was adapted from Cooks Illustrated, and I will not bother reprinting it here as you can find it on her website.

I will say that I dove into this bread while it was still warm and it’s cinnamon-rolly, doughnut-holey deliciousness. It was more time-consuming than I anticipated, but very easy. Below you will find some photographs of the different stages and my tips. If you make it, let me know how it turns out!

When initially kneading the dough (the photo above shows dough after the first rise), you will need approximately an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour. It will be quite sticky.

I used a chefs knife to section the dough. Deb recommends splitting the pieces right away. I didn’t and while it stuck a bit, it was easy to work with. I do recommend sectioning them in a variety of sizes, I found that I liked having some large and some small in the finished bread.

Make sure to butter the pan with a full 2 tablespoon of butter.

Deb mentions that while Cooks Illustrated recommends waiting until the sugar in the bread starts to bubble up on the sides, hers did not. Neither did mine, and I took it out at 30 minutes. I inverted the bread straight-away and lost a few balls, but easily stuck them back in.

I made the recommended amount of cream cheese glaze, but added it to the bread too soon (I was hungry!) so it melted a bit and ran off the sides. Not a big deal, but if you’re interested in making it more presentable, you might want to wait a bit longer :-) I would also recommend making some extra glaze for the side.

I felt that the glaze was a little…cheesy (I actually don’t really care for cream cheese) so I added some extra vanilla.

Enjoy!

What is it about smoothies? They’re so GOOD. I left the office early this evening as I had a raging headache and could not find anyone in the building with Tylenol. Once I got home and popped my drugs, I immediately craved a smoothie-style brain freeze.

I’m simple when it comes to my smoothies, and I don’t usually veer from my favorite, a combination of tart strawberries, smooth bananas and orange juice blended with ice. Side note: a great tip Todd and I picked up from the bartender while staying at Mezzanine in Tulum, to crush ice cubes, toss a few into the center of a bar (or dish) towel, gather the edges and beat over a hard surface.

What do you put in your smoothie?

Going through some old photos, I stumbled upon a series of snapshots I had taken last year while cooking dinner for my dad’s birthday.  I never shared this particular recipe with you and it’s one of my absolute favorite appetizers.  Crispy rounds of fried polenta topped with a slightly spicy, lemony aioli and thin slices of grilled mushrooms.  Add a dusting of parmigiano-reggiano and an edible flower (I used flowers from the arugula we had growing in the backyard at the time) and you have a perfect bite.

Ingredients

• 8-10 ounces mushrooms (choose white button or cremini for this recipe)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
• Salt and pepper
• Splash of dry white white wine
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream (optional)

• 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise (you can make your own if you wish)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 2/5 cups milk or water (I recommend milk, you can use skim, regular or soy)
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt and pepper (use white pepper if you have it)
• 1 cup polenta
• 2-4 tablespoons olive oil

• A hearty chunk of parmigiano-reggiano
• Arugula flowers (these are ideal as they add a subtle bitter flavor, but they are hard to find…you can also use a dusting of coarsley chopped parsley, microgreens or chives)

Polenta

Line a shallow 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper.  Cut an additional piece of paper of the same size.  Place the milk, rosemary and garlic cloves in a medium pot and heat over medium heat.  Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove the rosemary and garlic cloves from the milk and turn the heat to low.  Add the polenta in a slow stream and whisk vigorously.  Cook for roughly 20 minutes (it may not take that long), until smooth.

Pour the polenta into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer, about 1/2 inch thick.  Cover with the additional piece of parchment and refrigerate for an hour, until sufficiently hardened.

Cook the mushrooms and prepare the aioli before the next step.

Remove polenta from the fridge and place on a large, flat surface, like a wooden cutting board.  Cut the chilled polenta into rounds using a small, round cookie cutter.  If you don’t have this (and you probably do not), you can use anything round of the appropriate size.  I used the bottom tin portion of a votive candle.  You can also simply cut the polenta into squares using a knife.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan until just smoking.  Add the rounds/squares of polenta to the pan in batches, frying until lightly browned on each side (about 4-5 minutes total).  Remove from the oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels.

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Mushrooms

Slice the mushrooms as finely as possible using a sharp knife (a mandolin isn’t necessary).  Finely chop two cloves of garlic and one tablespoon of parsley.  Heat a large saute pan over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  When the oil just begins to smoke, add the mushrooms.  Give the pan a swirl to coat the mushrooms with oil, and allow to sit for a few moments.  You must allow the mushrooms to release their water, but if they seem too dry, you can add a bit more oil or a splash of wine.  Add the garlic, stir and allow to sit again.  When the mushrooms have released the majority of their water, salt and pepper to taste and add a tablespoon of heavy cream, if you desire.  Stir and add parsley.  Remove from the heat and reserve.

Aioli

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice and cayenne pepper.  Reserve.

Assembly

Take each polenta round and add a dollop of aioli.  Top with about a tablespoon of mushrooms.  Add a dusting of cheese and top with a garnish of your choice.  Present on a large platter.

Alright, lovelies, I kicked off my Gourmet Today cook-a-thon (it should only take me about 10 years) tonight.

I didn’t want to go to the store (I’ve been freezing all day) so I decided to just work with what I had in the house.  Which was a whole lot of nothing.  Last weekend I had purchased some brussels sprouts on the vine, which we still had, and they were fresh.

I landed on the shaved brussels sprouts recipe because it was easy and I had everything on hand (with the exception of walnuts, which I subsituted with almonds).

It’s a very easy recipe.  Cut each sprout in half lengthwise and then cut each half crosswise as thinly as possible (you can also use a mandolin).  Toast walnuts (or any other nut, really) until browned and then chop.  Toss the sprouts with olive oil, lemon juice and parm…add the nuts and add freshly ground pepper to taste.

The verdict?  It’s very good, incredibly light.  It would be a perfect accompaniment to grilled fish or chicken.  I think I will grill some shrimp tomorrow night to pair with the salad.

Side note, hating the night-time photography.  I promise to do some research and find some solutions for better photos.

xo

Writing about food is a blast, but preparing cooking posts can be difficult for a few reasons.  While I may start with the best intentions of documenting my kitchen time, my camera often receives little love when I am in the final stretch of pulling together a dish/meal.  Also, I hate photographing in dark light, as it produces mediocre photographs.  And, as you know, we lose light much earlier in the winter.

That said, you will see more posts around food and cooking, that’s a promise.

To tide you over, here are some links to my favorite dishes I’ve written about in the past:

• Chicken strips without the grease.  Because they are delicious.
• One of my most favorite dishes ever?  Spicy broccoli with crispy polenta.
• Almond financier with strawberries.  YUM.

Wow, I guess I really haven’t written about food all that much…

Happy weekend!!

Cru, Greenwich Village. The menu looks yummy and the prices are fairly reasonable, given all the press this place has gotten.

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Midtown East. One of Bruni’s 3 star picks. I wonder if it’s too stuffy?

Naya, Midtown East. Mid-Eastern, the menu looks delicious. Todd would love this place.

Sushi Yasuda, Midtown East. I’ve heard nothing but good things about this place and it’s near the hotel. If we are craving sushi we will definitely go.

Tao, Midtown East. This is apparently one of those “entertaining” restaurants. A place that tickles every sense. I believe the menu is Pan Asian.

Pearl Oyster Bar, West Village. I love, love, love this place and try to go every time I am in the city. Love!

Eleven Madison Park, Recently anointed with 4 stars from the NYT, I have heard really wonderful things about this place. There’s a 3-course prix fixe ($88), a autumn menu ($125) and an eleven course menu ($175). There’s also a $28 2-course lunch…sounds like a deal.

Per Se, I’m tempted, but not entirely sure I want to shell out the money for Per Se when I would probably rather go to French Laundry…

Masa, Midtown West. “Masa, despite its chosen peculiarities and pitiless expense, belongs in the thinly populated pantheon of New York’s most stellar restaurants. Simply put, Masa engineers discrete moments of pure elation that few if any other restaurants can match. If you appreciate sushi, Masa will take you to the frontier of how expansively good a single (and singular) bite of it can make you feel.” – Frank Bruni.

La Bernardin, I hear this is a great place for seafood. prix fixe dinner tasting is, $109, not bad.  I also have a slight crush on Eric Ripert.

The Mermaid Inn, UWS & East Village. When I was in the city last October, my (foodie) friend Hana recommended that we have lunch at this place. It was closed when we passed by, but I am digging the menu online. Classic shrimp cocktail for 10 bucks? Whipped Idaho potatoes? These are two of my hard-core cravings. And, I’ve seen the restaurant, it’s cute. I am thinking I will take Sunni here if she is not able to peel her nose out of her books (med school) for dinner at Otto.

ChikaLicious, East Village. Years ago Hana and I stumbled upon Magnolia (before SATC fame) and I really liked it. Granted, I had their coconut cake. Their cupcakes are BAD, way too buttery and heavy. Not to mention that the spot is a black hole for tourists. I did some research and ChikaLicious pops up a lot as a favorite spot for sweets. Sugar Sweet Sunshine is supposed to have great cupcakes.

Babbo, Greenwich Village. Right, so I love Otto, but I want to have another great Batali restaurant in my pocket for the trip. He has multiple spaces in the city, any favorites?

Jean Georges, UWS. Apparently the lunch is the way to go here? It’s $29 for two dishes, with each additional dish at $14.50 (the crappy restaurant I am writing from is asking $18.50 for flank steak, that sucks). Sounds like a pretty damn good deal to me. Has anyone done this?

Craft, Flatiron District. Okay, okay, I get that it’s Tom Colicchio’s place (I actually kind of love him) but people seem to like it. Honestly, it looks good and it would be fun to go just for the right to talk shit to TV Tom (or shower him with accolades) during drunken Top Chef viewings.

Shake Shack, UWS. My friend Sunni’s turf! I hear this is a great place for burgers. Since reading that recent piece in the NYT I feel a very strong urge to avoid ground meat, but….mmmmmmmbuuuuurgers…(I’m not really a burger person, unless I am drunk, but I LOVE french fries).

Prune, East Village. A reader recommended this but it also popped up while I was researching restaurants (I believe Food + Wine is a fan). I believe the reader (forgive me, forgetting who at the moment) recommended this place for brunch. My friend Carly, in from Boston, is a SUCKER for a good brunch.

Sorry Carly, you’re not a sucker, you’re a lover.

The Spotted Pig, West Village. Deviled eggs are the first thing listed on the bar menu. SOLD! Mario, please take me on a road trip to Spain, or Italy, or Louisiana. In all seriousness, this restaurant is so talked about that I feel like I’ve already been there. I gather they don’t take reservations, so perhaps lunch is best? Also, this answer from their FAQ made me giggle (emphasis mine, of course).

Q: Are there vegetarian dishes?

A: Yes. We usually have 3 or 4 veggie appetizers and 5 or 6 sides each day/night. You can get a veggie plate, we call it 5 sides.

Boqueria, Soho. Recommended by two readers, looks like it would be great for lunch.