Posts by: Andrew Cohen
This tart can work as a starter or the main course. You could even work it into a dessert, and serve it with an ice cream or sorbet. The recipe is flexible owing to the fact that you can cut the pastry bases to any size you wish. Use a cookie cutter to form many small ones for a party, or just roll out a whole sheet of puff pastry and make one large one for a family style meal. This recipe is four 4 individual ones around 4 inches across.
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Tagged with: fennel
The mild heat and earthy funk of radishes is contrasted with flavors usually associated with sweets. The radish reminds me of turnips, and I love to glaze turnips, so that is how this came about. Be sure not to overcook the radishes in the water or you wind up with too much “funk”, and mush to boot.
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Tagged with: radishes
There are many different methods for making basil infused oil, but I find this one works really well. It produces a deeply colored and flavored oil that will last in the refrigerator for 3-5 days before the flavor begins to drop off. It can be frozen for a month or two without much loss of flavor, but be sure to wrap it closely once frozen. Use this as a garnish, or as a flavoring. Try smearing a little across a plate when you want a subtle basil aroma and flavor, or add drops onto dishes for small intense burst of basil flavor. Although the recipe calls for olive oil, save the intense Tuscan Extra Virgin oils for something else, or the basil will be overwhelmed.
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One of the traditional renditions of pasta with pesto is a Genovese iteration that includes filet beans and tiny potatoes. Here is a de-constructed version of that dish, minus the pasta. Using Sangre potatoes here will make for a very colorful dish, but other types of waxy potatoes would work as well.
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This dressing is good for when you have strong elements in a salad and you want a foil for them, such as spinach salads or salads with beans or green beans like the Provence Inspired salad which has spinach and filet beans. Use a mild honey, and even though it says “honey” in the title, I cut the honey with agave syrup.
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I’m a big fan of coleslaw, and this is one of the best I’ve tasted. My friend Elaine’s passion is her art, and she’d much rather be in the studio with her clay than in the kitchen. This means she prefers streamlined cooking, but she also likes things that taste good. This is an example. She took the original recipe and cut back the mayo and sugar so the slaw is lighter. I think if you had a dictionary with definitions you could taste, this would be what you’d find for “coleslaw, with mayonnaise dressing”. Essential, flavorful, it exalts cabbage.
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INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch carrots, peeled and cut “roll cut” (cut at 45° angle, then roll carrot a quarter-turn and cut again) ¼ small white onion, minced ½ tablespoon sugar ½ bunch cilantro, stems separated from leaves, reserved 1 clove garlic, peeled and crackedContinue reading »
INGREDIENTS:
2 ounces pancetta, cut into inch long pieces or ¼ inch dice if you can get sliced to order 1 head cauliflower, separated into florets, florets sliced in half ¼ cup + 1/3rd cup orange juice 1 red onion 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise across the widthContinue reading »
Tagged with: cauliflower
Here’s a riff on Pommes Boulangère, the classic French potato dish named for the fact that it was cooked in the bread baker’s oven after all the bread was done and the ovens were cooling. Desiree potatoes are called for in the recipe, but really any waxy potato will do such as Yukon Golds, Yellow Finns, Romanze, Sangre, etc. I think adding the chard brightens the dish and the potatoes can mellow the earthiness sometimes found in chard. This is another dish for your Ben-Riner or mandolin.
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Tagged with: baked • chard • Desiree potatoes • gratin • potatoes • Romanze potatoes • sangre potatoes
I love mint, so this was a natural progression. I think pistachios are better than pinenuts with mint, and almonds work well also. You could use either one, but I like the mixture. I prefer to use a mortar and pestle for my pesto, both for flavor/texture, and because it is hard to do smaller batches in a food processor. Both methods are given , but I hope you will try the mortar and pestle method.
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A variation on the theme of summer squash and mint, this came about on the fly with some of the leftover pesto I had used with halibut the night before. This pesto is great with fish, on sandwiches, and with chicken, and makes a nice pasta, especially with shrimp and lemon added in.
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Onions are usually relegated to supporting roles in cooking, and I am always trying to find ways to make them the “star”. The inspiration for this came from a Silver Spoon cookbook, and this recipe definitely does that. Like onions in recipes, this dish could go with most anything. It is a little sweet, a little savory, without being “oniony”. The onion shows various shades of purple, and the shape of the wedges lend themselves to nice arrangements on the plate. If you like onions in the least, try this dish. It doesn’t hurt that it is quite easy. The hardest part is peeling the onions. Be sure to use a sharp knife for this. This dish is popular with kids.
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The uncut turnips reminded me of eggs, the fluffy kale the nest. Sweet maple syrup with the slightly sharp turnips and the tart vinegar with the earthy kale and turnip greens (if you get them) combine to make a complex sweet and sour dish of humble origins. Try playing with the vinegars and sweeteners for variations to match other dishes in the meal.
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INGREDIENTS:
1½ pounds button mushrooms, cleaned with a towel or paper towel, sliced 1/8th inch
1-2 cups Balsamic Vinaigrette
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This is a simple dish with big flavor. The mushrooms can be done days ahead, and I always seem to have some balsamic vinaigrette in the refrigerator. The mushrooms can be used for many other things besides the salad. Use as an antipasti with roasted beets and salumi, put in sandwiches, or heat up and use as a topping or garnish for grilled lamb, beef, or sausages. This dish can be made with regular arugula, but the “wild” arugula has more crunch and a nuttier flavor.
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A variation on a Quickle, this uses a hot brine to soften up the carrots a little. The pickled jalapenos and carrots found in many taquerias is part of the inspiration for these, as is the pickled vegetables found as antipasti in Italian restaurants. These can be part of a salad, tossed into sandwiches, or just eaten as is. A great addition to a lunch box if you want more vegetables in your diet but plain carrot sticks do not inspire.
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This is a combination that proves the old adage of the sum being greater than the parts. Although the combination may seem unlikely, it really tastes great. Cook the squash so it still has some crunch, and cook the collards so they no longer have a raw greens taste and texture, but not so much that they are really soft. The onions should be wilted, but try to not color them. You could forgo the breadcrumbs, but they soften up and form almost a sauce, and really help to amalgamate all the flavors. If you do not have pistachios, use almonds.
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This treatment of favas is especially good when you have more mature beans which can have a more assertive taste and are starchier. This recipe works fine with young favas, and the taste is really bright and makes a great sauce for fish like halibut or other firm white fish. Depending on how much you mash the beans and how much oil or stock you use, this recipe can be used as a topping or dip for crostini or as a sauce for fish or vegetables or pasta.
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Tagged with: broccoli • cauliflower • fava beans • fish • pasta • puree • salad • sauce • summer squash • vegan
The inspiration for this is in the classic fruit sauces for game, and is me playing in the savory kitchen with things normally found in the sweet side. Use this sauce on duck, pork, chicken, buffalo, or even beef. It will work great for any game as well. This recipe is the more refined version where the sauce is pureed and strained, with notes for a simpler, quicker, more rustic/casual version in the Chef’s Notes at the end.
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While researching blueberry vinegar I realized that there are pretty much two schools of thought. One school always cooks the berries and then strains it soon after, and the vinegar is almost always sweetened. Then there are those who don’t mind waiting, and are kind of purists. These are the ones that just mix berries and vinegar and proceed to wait a few days. One recipe even did both! Either way, it is really easy to make your own blueberry vinegar.
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Tagged with: blueberries
This dressing requires blueberry vinegar, which can be bought or is easy to make and has many uses. To make it yourself, just check the recipe on the site. Although this recipe says “creamy”, it’s not very. There is just enough to give it that texture, and whipping it keeps the dressing light. This dressing is good on salads, in a slaw, and could be used to top chicken or a pork chop.
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