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Momofuku 5:10 Eggs

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510 Egg

As I was initially typing this, I was getting a little proud of the fact I was finally able to take a food photo with full natural light again. Now as I’m staring a little closer I realize I chose beyond wrong on the plate color. Coconut rice and an egg – yeah, a white plate totally makes sense. Ugh.

In my defense, I was excited because I had made Loco Moco from the Love & Olive Oil cookbook, Breakfast for Dinner (minus the fried egg, obviously) and couldn’t wait to dive in.

On a side note – the Loco Moco is awesome – so get the book…so you can be classy like me and tweet things like this to the authors:

 

Anyway, the Momofuku 5:10 egg is not a recipe, but a method – and it works every single time for me. Think of a perfectly poached egg, that never leaves its shell while cooking. When it is cooled, the egg seamlessly steps out of it’s shell, like that one girl in high school after 3 bottles of  Smirnoff Ice.

Momofuku 5:10 Eggs (You can do as many eggs as you would like, as long as the water in the pan of your choice will cover all of the eggs.)

Bring a large saucepan of water to a full rolling boil and prepare a bowl of ice water. When the water is boiling, gently lower your eggs into the water and set a timer for 5 minutes and 10 seconds, exactly (one time, I counted an extra 5 seconds for fun and they were just fine).

When the 5:10 boil is over, remove the eggs and place in the bowl of ice water. After a few minutes, lightly tap all over and very gently peel under cool running water. Be very careful handling the peeled eggs.

Whether it is on Loco Moco or a simple piece of buttered toast, slice into your egg and watch in amazement:

510 Egg 2 (2)510 Egg 2 (1)

510 Egg 4 (1)

510 Egg 4 (2)

Yes.

 

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Beet, Feta and Herb Farro Salad

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It has been silent here for far too long. This little spot on the internet has lay barren of any content whatsoever for more time than I am comfortable with. I could certainly blame it on the lack of lighting in our home by the time dinner is made after a long day at work. I could blame it on all of that wedding planning we had been doing up until November, but that was over three months ago.

Insert self gratuitous wedding photos here:
Wedding

To be entirely honest, it has been my own laziness and a general sense of apathy that has kept me from writing; here or anywhere else. Even saying it now “out loud” breaks my heart a little. Things are different in my life than they were the last time I posted in 1769…or however depressingly long ago it was.

But the passion inside never went anywhere and I’ve still been cooking, creating, testing and immersing myself in all things food. Food and the love for cooking it is what I’m made of. It is my blood, my brain and is forever on my skin. Any tools I use feel like an extension of my limbs and I still swoon when onions and garlic hit hot butter in a pan. I’ve been making things I’ve never made before and discovering new techniques for recipes I’ve been cooking for years.

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As it turns out, I make a mean fried chicken, love cold beets in salads and didn’t realize just how much I missed writing about all of it. So I’ll start small by sharing a recipe for farro salad – and see where it goes from here.

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Beet, Feta and Herb Farro Salad (adapted from this recipe in the New York Times)

  • 1 cup farro
  • 2 1/2 cups water or stock
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced or pureed
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium beets, steamed, peeled, and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup broken walnut pieces or toasted pine nuts
  • 2 ounces feta and more for garnish
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs – I’ve used parsley, thyme, dill and basil – and all have worked nicely alone or together. Play around.

In a saucepan combine the farro and water, and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for up to about 30 minutes, until grains are tender and have absorbed all of the liquid. It may take as little as 20 minutes or up to 45 minutes, depending on the source of your farro. Allow to cool to room temperature.

While your farro is cooling, make the dressing. Combine the vinegars, garlic and Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to combine and emulsify the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until ready to use. You may need to whisk it again before adding it to the farro.

Toss the farro with the dressing, beets, nuts and herbs. Taste and adjust seasonings if neccesary. You can serve this room temperature or chilled.

Enjoy!

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Apple Cider Pork Chops (with Honeycrisp-Thyme Compote and Pumpkin Alfredo)

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“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.”  George Eliot

It’s no secret that for me, it isn’t the right time of year until the leaves beneath my shoes crunch and I’ve made the transition from iced to hot coffee. There is something peaceful for me when I look around and see the vibrant colors of changing leaves and the scent of changing air perfumes every breath. Give me hoodie weather, and I’m the nicest person you’ll ever meet.

There are times I’m glad no one besides my fiance and my daughter are around to see how these food ideas come to fruition. What started as a great idea to brine a pork chop in apple cider, quickly spiraled out of control with making this Autumn on a plate. I wanted to take the very best things about the season and make them friends at the table.  For me, it’s all about pumpkin – put that word in front of anything and I’m liable to try just about anything. My mother and Alora don’t consider it fall until Honeycrisp Apples have hit the scene.

I don’t know anyone with a grudge against this time of year, but I bet your ass that if you know one, this dish will turn them around.

Together it seems like a lot to make for one meal but you can space it out. I did it all on a  lazy Sunday where I had nothing more to do than watch Netflix.

Honeycrisp Apple and Thyme Compote

  • 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored and diced
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • Heavy pinch of salt and pepper
In a medium saucepan, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes.  Add in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently until the sugar has dissolved completely. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring every once in a while  until the onions and apple are tender. This was about 15 minutes for me.  Remove from heat and taste for seasonings.
Note: The mixture will thicken up even more as it cools.

 

Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce

  • 1/2 stick of butter
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
  • 2 Tablespoons of water
  • 1/16 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup shredded Parmesan Reggiano cheese
  • salt and black pepper

In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Dump in the cream, pumpkin and water, whisking to combine. Stir in the nutmeg. Add the cheese a little at a time, whisking between additions. This helps things from getting gritty.

Taste and determine how much salt and pepper you need. Adjust as needed.

Apple Cider Brined Pork Chops

  • 2 Cups apple cider
  • 2 Cups water
  • 2 Tablespoons salt
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
  • 1 sprig of fresh oregano
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 1/2 lbs. boneless pork chops (Note: This was four chops for us. They were friggin’ huge! If yours are smaller, I’d cut the brine time as deemed necessary.)

In a large pot, combine all ingredients except the pork chops. Heat over medium heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Turn off the heat and allow to cool completely. I recommend doing this in the refrigerator so it’s really cold.

Never ever put meat in a hot brine. It will start to cook the meat and that is just gross.

When the brine is cool, submerge the pork chops, put in the refrigerator and allow to sit for 12-24 hours.

To cook the pork chops, remove from the brine, rinse under cold water and pat dry. In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat.  When it is shimmering, sear the pork on all sides (about 2 minutes per side). Remove to a plate. They aren’t done yet. Add in a couple splashes of water or more apple cider to losen all the brown bits in the pan.

Turn the heat down to medium. Put the pork chops back in the skillet, cover with a lid and allow to continue cooking until the internal temperature of the chops is to your liking.

This is one of those instances where I’m not going to tell you what is right or wrong in regards to temperature. People get far too testy over things like this. Do your own independent research and do what tickles your pickle. Although please remember two things: once you remove meat from heat, it will continue to cook anywhere from five to ten degrees more and also,  since we brined these bad boys, they’re going to cook quicker than they will if we hadn’t brined them. 

To Serve:

This is up to you, hot pants. You can serve the Pumpkin Alfredo sauce as a topping or as the base of your dish. You can treat the compote like a topping or a condiment. Regardless, you will not be disappointed.

Happy Yay Summer is Over!

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My Daughter, the Ten Year Old

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“Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!”

Amen.

When you’re pregnant, they tell you all about babies – how you’ll be perpetually exhausted and your breasts drained from the constant whimpers of your child. Even commercials remind you, that yes, a baby changes everything.

They never remind you or allude to the fact that this tiny being not only needs your care and nurturing – but guidance to become a good human being. The little pamphlet they hand you post-partum in the recovery room of your birthing center doesn’t prepare you for this future person…just the tiny babe that precedes them.

Ten years. A decade. My little baby, born just the other day, turns 10 years old today. In my head, I never truly and wholly imagined what this day would be like. And if I had, I’m sure what life is now, looks nothing like what I ever could have predicted.

Alora is the definition of what parents aspire to raise. Thoughtful, introspective, hilarious, caring, and any other positive adjectives one could think of. Does she have her…..moments? The kind where you want to pull your hair out and either want to cry or declare you’re probably the worst mother ever? Absolutely.

Alora’s birthday list was a mash of books, art, technology, science, and music. The choice for her birthday dinner is a French restaurant because once she saw the menu, she was totally in love. She’s hoping to meet the chef to get some pointers and I admire that about her.

Ten years. A decade. All eyes pointed to the future. As I put her to bed the last time as a nine year old, she gently pressed her forehead to mine and gripped my hands. She didn’t say a word but I knew exactly what she was saying.

This girl is full steam ahead to becoming a young woman and I think we’re ready.

Maybe.

Happy Birthday, my beautiful girl! I love you. More than any words in the dictionary.

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Tomato Tartare with Shallots and Chive-Lemon Creme Fraiche

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I have less than 5 months until I get married. While terribly exciting – I’m also a  bit nervous because, well, I lost my mind a little and decided I’m catering the reception myself.

Yeah.

So I’ve been testing my ideas to see what works and what doesn’t. Playing around with concepts and replications of dishes that have made memories.

This was my first stab at recreating a small bite that I had at a work meeting a few years ago. The chef had walked me through the steps of the dish, and I hope I did his process justice. Although, it’s been more than 2 years and I’m blonde – so nothing is a guarentee.

I will say though that Mike and Alora both loved it. The leftovers were brought to my parents and sister, and all three of them gave a thumbs up. If you knew my father, you’d know that is about as close to a miracle that I’ll ever get.

I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as we did.

Tomato Tartare (serves 4-6 as an appetizer)

  • 1 pound of tomatoes (I used an assortment of heirlooms to make it purrty)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large shallot, minced as small as you can get it
  • Chive-Lemon Creme Fraice (recipe follows)

Bring a pot of water to a simmer. As it’s heating, fill a large bowl with water and lots of ice. This is going to immediately stop the cooking process once the tomatoes are removed from the simmering water.

Carefully slice the stem end off of the tomatoes. Use a knife to slice a shallow ‘x’ into the blossom end of the tomatoe (the other side).

Drop the tomatoes in the simmering water for 10-15 seconds. Immediately remove and plunge in the ice water. Allow to sit until entirely cool. The skins will peel right off.

Remove the seeds from the tomato and dice into small 1/4 inch pieces. Put the tomatoes into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and toss. Allow to sit for an hour, to let water leech out of the tomatoes.

This will give the tomatoes a firmer and meatier consistency. What drains is called tomato water and can be used in salad dressings, cocktails, soups, salsas and so many other dishes!

To serve, fill a shot glass or small bowl with a small amount of tomatoes. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of shallots for crunch and spice.

Spoon the creme fraice on top – just a little bit.

Adjust the amounts depending on your taste and size of serving recepticle.

Chive-Lemon Creme Fraiche

  • 3 Tablespoons Crème Fraîche
  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives
  • fresh black pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Taste for seasonings and chill until ready to use.

ENJOY!

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Steamed Maryland Blue Crabs

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I should probably be scrubbing the kitchen floor on the weekends. Or hanging up the pile of clean laundry that’s been sitting beside the bed for an embarrassing amount of time. I’m thoroughly convinced hangers are overrated.

Sometimes after a long week of work it just doesn’t happen.

The weekends now are the screeching of neighborhood kids, like they’ve just been let out of a cage. It’s the ice cream truck playing Christmas music in June and the smell of smoky grills wafting in every direction.

It is driving home from the market and seeing handmade signs in someone’s yard advertising live crabs, just caught.

We asked for a dozen and since it was our first time buying from him, he slipped us five extra crabs. Any good dealer gives you more just to entice you and let you know how good his product is. And it was.

Every once in awhile rather than bombard your life with tasks, just sit with your family and encrust your nails with spices -  enjoy the moment entirely – eat it up. Consume love.

Steamed Maryland Blue Crabs

Whatcha Need:

  • One large pot with a platform, rack, or screen in the bottom (You want the crabs to steam, not touch or cook in the liquid – that is no good).
  • One part water, one part apple cider vinegar, one part beer. This amount will vary depending on the size of your pot.
  • Live crabs. Please do not cook ones that have already gone to the bay in the sky.
  • Old Bay or JO seasoning. The choice is yours – but man, people have some strong feelings about which is better. I’ll stay out of this one.

In the bottom of your large pot, combine the water, vinegar and beer. Place your rack/screen over the liquid.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Layer the crabs, and with each layer pour on the seafood seasoning. Don’t be shy – pour it.

Cover your pot and steam for about 20-30 minutes. When they are all fully red with no dark or green spots, you’re ready to serve. Cover your table with the finest tablecloth.

Dump your crabs on top and dig in. I’d tell you how to pick a crab but I don’t like hate mail. Plus, you know how to Google.

Optional for serving:

Like your seasoning of choice, people have big opinions about how to eat their picked meat. Some like it straight, and some like to dunk! Here are a few things you might want to serve with your beautiful crabs (besides beer).

  • Melted butter
  • Vinegar
  • Cocktail sauce

Cleaning the crime scene is just as easy; just roll the newspaper up and throw it away!

Cheers!

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Pork Meatball Bahn Mi Sandwiches

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I read somewhere that the majority of families rotate the same meals every week. Our family isn’t immune to this either. Sure, we mix it up and try new meals very frequently, but there are some weeks that if someone suggests pasta one more time, I’m going to stab my eye with a fork. This was one of our new favorite additions!

Sandwiches are one of my favorite things – you’ve got carbs, fun fillings, and condiments. They’re able to be personalized to taste, which is highly important at meal times in our house. 

When I showed Alora the recipe for these online, she was so excited because it had so many things she loved on it; meatballs, cilantro, carrots, cucumbers and mayonnaise. She kept calling them ‘Vietnamese Meatball Subs’.

Plus, they are so easy to make but give off a ‘I’ve been cooking these for hours’ vibe. Oh you picked vegetables? Why, yes, yes you did.

Pork Meatball Bahn Mi Sandwiches

Ingredients

Recipe taken from bonappetit.com with a few revisions for the sake of picky palates in my house. You can find the original recipe here.

Hot Chili Mayo

  • 2/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 green onions, finely chopped
  • 1 heaping tablespoon sriracha sauce

Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 green onions, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha
  • 1 scant tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Sandwiches

  • 2 cups coarsely grated carrots
  • 2 cups coarsely grated radish
  • 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 4 10-inch-long individual baguettes or four 10-inch-long pieces French-bread baguette (cut from 2 baguettes)
  • Thinly sliced jalapeño chiles
  • cilantro for topping

Preparation

Hot Chili Mayo

  • Stir all ingredients in small bowl. Season with salt. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Meatballs

  • Line baking sheet with foil. Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl. Roll meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs and line them on the baking sheet.

Sandwiches

  • Toss first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour, tossing occasionally.
  • Preheat oven to 450°F.  Place the lined baking pan of meatballs in and cook for 10 minutes per side.
  • Cut each baguette or baguette piece horizontally in half. Pull out enough bread from each bread half to leave 1/2-inch-thick shell. Spread hot chili mayo over each bread shell. Arrange jalapeños, then cilantro, in bottom halves. Fill each with 1/4 of meatballs. Drain pickled vegetables; place atop meatballs.
  • Top with the top of the baguette and shove it in your face piece.

So yum.

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Thoughts

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I hear him whistling upstairs, warm from a shower.

I love the sound of his voice, the touch of his hand.

The dogs are cupped within each other, sisters by choice.

Our cat, a heaving pile of copper. An asshole, but loved for what he stands for.

This house is too small – too limited to the big dreams the three of us have.

When we have our own house…..

there will be a huge kitchen

and tons of storage

with a place for tools and wood and home brewing.

We always have an unfinished puzzle on the coffee table and I think it fits.

She tells me:

I want to move to Paris.

I will be the world’s greatest chef.

And I believe her.

Because in this family -

Anything is possible

Everything is possible

But you have to want it

More importantly, you have to work for it.

Because most things that “fall in your lap”, are just crumbs. Nothing substantial.

You couldn’t find a luckier woman than me.

 

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Don’t Blink

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They say it all the time.

Don’t blink. Enjoy every moment because one day you’ll wake up and your baby won’t be a baby anymore.

And here she is, my daughter, just born yesterday…about to turn 10. Almost as tall as me, thin and lanky (unlike me) with royal blue streaks in her hair. We have to shop in the Juniors Department for her because she is mostly limbs and has no desire to wear shirts with cartoons or cheesy sayings.

Alora is very much her father, and if he were alive, I don’t know how he’d be handling all of these changes in the little girl she was. I don’t know how he’d handle seeing all the similarities between the two of them now, both physically and mentally, because I sure as hell don’t keep it together a lot of the time.

There is beautiful mirroring: the soft brown of her eyes set beneath familiar brows. The shape of her feet and toes identical to ones I’ve seen before.

And there is some ugliness. Deep-seeded frustration after disappointment. Quick sarcasm to deflect questions. Unexplained sadness that comes in like waves. Deja vu.

Like most young ladies she can be two people: in one breath arguing valid points of contentment with my parenting and in her exhale curling up beside me in silence, only wanting to be held.

I love her so very much. Sometimes I’m so angry that I happened to blink.

 




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Meet Your New Best Friends: Chole and Pattice

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I love re-creating something I’ve eaten outside of my own kitchen. Maybe it’s my Mom’s Cabbage Rolls or most recently the Silk Handkerchief pasta I had in Orlando, but I enjoying challenging myself.

This is an attempt at a dish our local vegetarian Indian restaurant calls  Tikki Channa Chaat. It is described as “Delhi style friend patties served on a bed of curried chickpeas, topped with onions, cilantro and chutneys” and it is heavenly.

Every time Michael and I eat there, we order this appetizer. I love it so much. Without fail, I always leave the restaurant and by the time I’m in the car, I decide they should make it bigger, with more potato patties and consider it a main dish. I get to make these kind of decisions, you see.

Except I don’t, so I made it myself.

Is it the most authentic thing? Doubtful and laughable. But it does hit the spot on days when I can’t make the drive out to get it.

For the Chole (Curried Chickpeas):

  •  2 15 oz. cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1 jalapeno, diced
  • 1 fresh bay leaf
  • 1/2 cinnamon stick
  • 1 cardamom pod
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
  • 1 cup tomato puree
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro

In a pot, cover the chickpeas with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

While the beans are simmering, heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add in the oil – the whole spices and toast until fragrant. Toss in the onion and jalapeno, stir to combine. Cook until beginning to soften and add the dry spices and garlic-ginger paste. Cook for 3 minutes.

Stir in the tomato puree and diced tomato. Drain the chickpeas from the water, add them to the tomato gravy and simmer for 10 minutes.

For a thicker sauce, smash a few of the chickpeas with the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

For the Pattice (Potato Patties):

  • 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and boiled
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon coriander
  • 1/8 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

In a large bowl, put your boiled potatoes through a ricer for a smooth consistency. If you don’t have one, give them a thorough mashing. Stir in the remaining ingredients except the cornstarch, kneading the mixture together until combined. Taste for seasoning – when it’s to your liking, thoroughly mix in the cornstarch.

Get a plate for holding your patties. Using your hands, form the potato mixture into the size patties of your choice. I make a golf ball sized round and then smush them flat. Whatever floats your boat.

When you’re ready to pan fry the pattice, heat a skillet with your oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, gently add the potato patties. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

To Serve You’ll Also Need:

  • Chopped cilantro
  • Diced Onion
  • Diced Tomato
  • Plain Yogurt
  • Chow Mein Noodles (Note: Traditionally the little crunchies are something called ‘Sev’ but I did  not have access to an Indian market, and these seemed to do the trick.)
In a vat bowl, place the desired amount of pattice. Cover with a hearty portion of chole. Top as desired with onion, tomato, cilantro, chow mein noodles and yogurt.

 

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