In Season :: Ramps & A Warm Ramp Vinaigrette

You know spring's in full swing when ramps hit the greenmarket and grocery stores.  A type of wild garlic/spring onion, ramps are some of the first spring produce to poke their way through the ground as the weather warms.  Get them while you can as they're only around for about 4 to 6 weeks.  Grilled or sateed they'll add a distinct garlic/scallion/onion flavor to pastas, eggs, pizzas (Mario Batali's king for this one) and more.  I had them simply raw last week at Northern Spy paired with beef tartare, seriously unbelievable.
Earlier this week, I chose a less traditional path for these little leafy onions and did up a warm ramp vinaigrette for simple spring lettuces.  A lovely and light starter for my family's Passover meal, but it'll make any meal a bit more intriguing.
In a small skillet over moderate-low heat, add in 1 small bunch of ramps minced, 1/2 shallot minced, 1 to 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons honey, 4 to 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.  Bring the vinaigrette to a simmer and lower the heat to stay warm and reduce slightly.  Serve over fresh, crisp greens like red and green baby romaine.

image :: pinterest via Laurel Messina

Little Lovelies :: Grandma's Macaroons

These beauties are dangerously addictive and are perfect for when you're time-crunched and need to whip up something fast for your next dinner party, brunch or springtime soiree.   Coconut macaroons hold a special place in my heart--they're simple, oh-so-delicious and these shown above come straight from my Grandma Bebe's vintage recipe box.  What better to finally welcome spring weather with a tiny, tasty treat.  Thanks grandma!

Coconut Macaroons
makes about 24

3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups of sweetened, flaked coconut
1 14 ounce can of condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (as with most baked goodies, I opt for extra-vanilla - I run strong with 1 tablespoon extract and make sure it's good quality vanilla, I promise it makes a huge difference)
dark chocolate chunks for melting (if you wish to take the extra-decadent step of coating the bottom with chocolate or doing a light chocolate drizzle over top)


Preheat the oven to 350.  Mix coconut, condensed milk and vanilla together in a large bowl.  Lightly grease two baking sheets or cover them with parchment paper.  Spoon coconut mixture into little compact balls and place on baking sheets about an inch or two apart.  Bake for 6 to 7 minutes and flip baking sheets.  Bake for another 5 to 7 minutes until lightly golden brown.  Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack.
*For chocolate dipped or drizzled macaroons, melt about 1 cup dark chocolate chunks/pieces in a double boiler (I usually fill a medium saucepan with a few inches of water and place a metal or glass mixing bowl on top with the chocolate).  Dip macaroons in chocolate or take a spoon and lightly drizzle chocolate over top.  Place macaroons back on the baking sheet and in the freezer or fridge for 15-20 minutes to set the chocolate.

Ingredient Intrigue :: Sorrel & Black Garlic

Scooting out quickly this afternoon to do a grocery shop for tonight's dinner, I spotted two ingredients that I'd never used before and to be quite honest, wasn't really sure what to do with. Sorrel, a lemony leaf herb that's actually poisonous in extreme doses, and black garlic, a fermented version of white garlic with a rich molasses-tone often used in Asian dishes.  So what's a girl to do?  Always up for a bit of culinary experimentation, I snapped them right up.  First on deck, sorrel.  I was already planning on making a simple frittata for dinner and thought the lemony, sharp flavor would be perfect to toss in with sauteed red bell peppers and mushrooms.  The final result: pretty fantastic and finished in under 20 minutes.
 
A good drizzle of olive oil + chopped red bell pepper & asparagus + 2 stalks of spring garlic & a bit of diced hot pepper + chopped cremini mushrooms & 1 small bunch of sorrel torn into pieces.  Saute up the red bell pepper and asparagus, add in the spring garlic, hot pepper, sorrel and mushrooms.  Saute on medium-high heat for about 8 to 10 minutes or so.  Whisk 6 eggs and season with cracked pepper and salt. Pour into the skillet, evenly covering the vegetable mixture.  Turn the heat down to medium and cook the eggs about 5 minutes.  Finish the frittata under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.
(sorry no pic taken tonight, but here's a lovely poached egg and sorrel dish from NY Times contributor Melissa Clark)

We'll see what black garlic brings...

 images: Vegetable Matter, New York Times, House of Brinson

Beets :: Quick Clean Up for Spring

I'm willing warm temperatures to come on strong...any day now.  If nothing else, sunshine and a bit of spring cleaning is a decent place to start.  If you're looking for a nice 'jumpstart' towards beach season, give a thought to a nice bowl of roasted beets, or a simple beet salad, or some more creative uses for the colorful root veg.  Beets are like your personal springtime cleanup crew.  Jammed with antioxidants and nutrients to detox the liver along with a good dose of fiber, they'll flush out toxins and kick up digestion super fast.  Just beware, they'll stain virtually anything they come in contact with, nothing a good washing can't take care of.  Check out these brilliant photos and easy beet recipes from my latest column in Rue Magazine's fourth issue.  Click here for Bright Beet & Feta Dip with Grilled Toasts; Golden & Ruby Beet Salad with Oranges, Hazelnuts & Fiore Sardo Cheese; Dark Chocolate Beet Cupcakes with Goat Cheese-Hazelnut Frosting (oh yeah, they're crazy good!).

...and a few more gorgeous pics from the talented Rima Campbell.

Inspired by...

...Pasta and porchetta princess, Sara Jenkins' green bean salad at her new East Village restaurant Porsena (if you haven't been yet, it's cozy and wonderful - like you're eating at home with your Italian grandmother).  Jenkins may have gained acclaim for her heftier dishes and love of all things pork, but the green bean salad is a total star on the menu.  Fresh, simple, gorgeously green and crunchy--a perfect healthy pick for the first weeks of spring.  I recreated her dish at home based on memory and taste.  Darn close to the original...

green beans with fennel & toasted almonds 
serves 2
blanch a small bunch of haricot verts (French beans) in boiling water for about 2 minutes, plunge into an ice bath.
remove beans and place in a mixing bowl.
toss in thinly shaved fennel (a mandolin makes it super easy), toasted chopped almonds, finely sliced red onion (Jenkins actually pickles hers first, which I adore, but I didn't have the time).
add juice from 1/2 lemon, 2-3 teaspoons of good red wine vinegar, a nice dose of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, mix well and you're done.

(my version above, Sara's pretty version below)

images via: nourish, the L magazine

Spring Kitchen!

You can almost smell spring coming on strong!  I'm not looking forward to losing an hour of sleep with daylight savings this weekend, but I'll surely take the sunshine and brilliant hues that are well on their way this month.  I'm loving the bright pops of color in these kitchens -- clean whites, baby blues, peeks of hot pink, grassy green and pastel seafoam!  Just a little springy inspiration to start your weekend off with.  Cheers!

images via :: 1-6 redonline, 7 blue stove bakery

Dreaming of...

...spring!
After a very hectic week, I'm back and blogging.  Yesterday's unsightly rain had me dreaming of spring and a whole lot of sunshine.  And of course a bit of bright nibblings to go along with it.  These rosemary-lemon shortbread are the perfect transition from winter heartiness (the rosemary) to spring liveliness (the lemon).  Not to mention they're somewhat addictive if you're not careful.  Get the recipe over at my post today on Rue Magazine's blog...and start baking!

   

What I'm Craving...

...apparently a wardrobe change in my fridge!  Last week's shot of warmth on the east coast had me yearning for springtime sun and a new crop of seasonal ingredients to play with.  What's a gal to do?  Make the best of what the present has to offer.  I opted for a little bit of winter heartiness with lighter ingredients.  The result: a gorgeous steak salad with radicchio, mixed greens, blood oranges & scallions.  Topped with fresh pecorino romano and a light garlic vinaigrette.

winter-to-spring steak salad
serves 1 
4 ounces top sirloin (mine's from my favorite guys over at Dickson's Farmstand Meats in Chelsea Market)
1 blood orange, peeled and segmented (aka "supremed")
2 to 3 cups mixed greens and radicchio, chopped
2 scallions, chopped

2 Tbsp or so fresh grated pecorino romano (I use a vegetable peeler to get nice, broad but thin slices)

garlic vinaigrette (this is a riff off of one of my all-time favorite dressings--which is served up at Terroir Wine Bar in the East Village)
1 Tbsp champagne or white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 egg
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon shallot, minced
dash of onion powder (I know it's sort of culinary blasphemy, but if the genius chefs at Terroir and Hearth do it, I'm happy to follow suit)
salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
a good pinch or two of grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In an oven-proof saute pan or cast iron pan, add a drop of olive oil over high heat.  Season steak with salt and pepper and cook about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.  Finish steak in oven, about 5 to 7 minutes for medium/medium rare.  Allow steak to rest for 5 minutes and slice.

For the vinaigrette, whisk ingredients together until well blended.  *Given that it calls for a raw egg, use dressing the day of (and if you're expecting, you may want to leave the egg out).  Toss mixed greens and radicchio with 1 to 2 tablespoons of dressing.  Arrange remaining salad ingredients with greens on a plate, top with sliced steak and serve.

*As a nutritional side note, my dear friend - and rockstar cardiologist - Lauren, informed me over the weekend of some new (though not shocking) research that gives eggs a little lift when it comes to the "cholesterol bad rap".  As reported in the Washington Post and LA Times among other publications, eggs may have 14 percent LESS cholesterol than previously thought, and 64 MORE vitamin D - and still are holding strong at 70 calories and just 6 grams of fat for a large egg. The verdict's still out on just how exactly dietary cholesterol, like that from eggs, impacts our blood cholesterol, so most definitely keep the yolk in there for greater nutrients and taste!

A Taste of Paris

I'm back and fresh off a food and culture-filled, whirlwind week in France.   I've got a number of Francophile posts to share this week, but I thought I'd start off with a few of my favorite sights, smells and scenes from the city of light.

an adorable flower shop in my favorite neighborhood, the Marais (4th arrondissement)

Merce & the Muse: a hip coffee shop in the Marais founded by an ex-pat that made me feel right at home - thanks to the tres Parisian chic Tiffany Iung for introducing me!  

because what would France be without a crumbly, fresh baguette and...

...a bit of unbelievably rich cheese?

Au Petit Fer A Cheval - quite possibly the epitome of a picturesque Parisian cafe.  And as luck would have it, it was right around the corner from me.  The best cafe creme (cappuccino) and simple bistro fare you'll stumble on

the bright blur of an entire wall full of Kumsi tea, a French staple

an outside peek at Spring Boutique, the wine and fine foods shop of Spring restaurant...so fantastic it deserves it's own post (later this week!)

gorgeous dark purple anemones - rich and regal flowers for a city rich with culture and history

a peaceful Parisian street, and the perfect end to a post!

Two Amazing Salads for Spring

Word of warning, this is a semi-mammoth post!

I had quite the foodie-forager adventure this past weekend and even got two incredible spring salads out of it -- both of which will most definitely be reappearing in the near future. They're perfect for a dinner party when you're looking to impress with something as "simple" as a salad. But before the salad recipes, here's a quick run-down of this foodie-nutritionist's Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday, April 3rd

10am - 10K run in Central Park for charity...and yes, I'm still sore, but you couldn't have begged for better running weather

11:30am - hit the Union Square farmers market & grocery store on my way back from the run to grab ingredients for the beet salad I was tasked with bringing to a friend's dinner party that evening. A standard beet-goat salad? Far from it. Keep on reading for the recipe and to see how I made things a little more intriguing.

2pm - Met up with my friend David Malosh, who's quite the talented (and very humble) food photographer and stylist. Rocking my Ray-Bans in the sunny weather, David and I were bound for a fun-filled foodie tour of hipster Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Couldn't think of a better way to spend an afternoon.

2:30pm - First stop, a late lunch at Marlow & Sons. D - licious. I love the menu focus on daily specials depending on what's in season and what's available. I went with a sunny-side up egg served with greens, a few potatoes and of course I had to try out their infamous house-made sausage - made that long morning run totally worth it. (I'm a sucker for sausage, I know, it defies all "nutritionist" logic....thank goodness!).

3:30pm - A quick pop into Marlow & Daughters up the street (their sister marketplace and butcher). I snagged a tub of Salvatore's fresh ricotta cheese to pair with olive oil, red pepper flakes, fresh mint and fresh bread -- an easy, delightful appetizer for the Easter Sunday lunch/dinner I was invited to the following day. Phenomenal ricotta, though David makes his own apparently and could prove a serious threat.

4pm - Swing by the Bedford Cheese shop for a quick sniff (no matter how often I go in, it's still incredibly pungent). David insists I taste-test the Australian feta cheese. He knows his stuff, so it's in my fridge waiting to be used.

4:30pm - Last stop at The Meat Hook (aka "Brooklyn's Local Butcher") which boasts custom cuts of meat, house-made sausage and more. They're in partnership with The Brooklyn Kitchen (great kitchenware and sundries) and Brooklyn Kitchen Labs (cooking, baking and butchering classes). What'd I walk away with? A bottle of house-made balsamic and red wine vinegar - amazing and so cheap! - one of their infamous sausage links, had to try to it, and a baguette from Roberta's, the carb-worthy pizza/Italian joint in Buschwick. (I served the bread up with the fresh ricotta for Sunday's dinner and it was killer).

8pm -- Taking my friend's spacious open-kitchen by storm, I used my lovely beets to their max capacity. A perfect pairing with beef tenderloin and roasted fingerling potatoes dusted with truffle salt (my secret weapon)! Photo and recipe below.

Roasted Beet Salad with Pistachios and Creme Fraiche Dressing

serves 8

Preheat oven to 425. Clean and trim 6 medium beets (I used 3 red and 3 yellow for color contrast). Place in a small roasting pan with 1 inch water and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes. Allow beets to cool and rub off skins with your fingers or a paper towel (no one likes purple-stained fingers!). Cut beets into quarters or chunks and set aside.

Creme fraiche dressing: creme fraiche is a nice alternative to standard goat cheese. It's so light and creamy, you just a little to get a lot flavor and taste. Mix together 1/4 cup of creme fraiche, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, the juice of one lemon, 2 teaspoons of minced shallot, one tablespoon of minced chives, salt and pepper to taste and the zest of one lemon. Slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.

Watercress puree: this is somewhat of an extraneous step (ditch it if you're time crunched), but it adds a nice flair and great color when garnishing the salad. Watercress is at its peak in the spring and gives a great herby, fresh kick to a dish. Blanch 1/4 bunch of watercress in boiling water for 1 minute. In a blender, combine, watercress 2 tablespoons of olive oil, one tablespoon water, the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/2 teaspoon minced shallot and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth.

Now for the assembly...on a large serving platter or in a large salad bowl, place the remaining 3/4 bunch of watercress (tossed with 2 teaspoons olive oil and salt) on the bottom. Arrange roasted beets on bed of watercress and sprinkle 1/4 cup chopped and toasted pistachios on top. Drizzle the creme fraiche dressing lightly over top in a circular motion -- you'll have about a third of the dressing leftover. Finish with a few small dollops of the watercress puree and garnish with additional lemon zest and minced chives. Finito. Spring beauty fresh on your plate!

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Sunday-Funday, April 4th

After a morning pilates class, I headed home to prepare a lovely, sunny-fresh salad to bring to my friend Jen's Easter afternoon get-together. I knew herb-crusted rack of lamb would be on the menu and the prosecco would most definitely be flowing, so I figured a light salad would help keep things healthfully in check. I love the combo of fresh fennel and oranges, so that's what I went with. If you've never worked with fennel before, it's got a slight licorice flavor and is packed with disease-fighting antioxidants. It's great roasted or raw.

Roberta's bread and Salvatore's fresh ricotta with olive oil, fresh mint and red pepper flakes kicked things off with a simple afternoon appetizer.

Fennel, Endive and Orange Salad with Ricotta Salata

serves 8

1 bulb fennel, green stalks cut off (use the white bulb only)

1 head of endive, thinly sliced

3 oranges, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced (I used a combo of blood oranges and navel - packed with vitamin C and fiber)

1/2 cup fresh grated ricotta salata (it's a hard cheese that's slightly salty...great flavor and texture!)

2 tablespoons thinly sliced shallots

1 tablespoon minced chives

Lemon Vinaigrette

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons minced shallots

juice of 1 lemon

1 egg yolk (yes, raw egg yolk...you'll end up with a smooth, creamier dressing without adding a ton of calories or fat --remember you're dividing it by 8 servings)

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the vinaigrette, whisk together mustard through salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking. Toss fennel, endive and oranges with 1/2 of vinaigrette in a large salad or serving bowl. Sprinkle ricotta salata and chives over top and serve.

Sunday Brunch :: Potato, Leek & Fontina Frittata

What could be better on a Sunday morning than a sunshine-filled brunch out on my balcony with the NY Times and a quick and simple frittata? My relaxing brunch was followed with a trip up to Architectural Digest's Home Design Show at Pier 94 to check out some inspiring tableware designs. Photos to come tomorrow...

Potato, Leek & Fontina Frittata

serves 4 to 6

1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup thinly sliced leeks
3 small baby potatoes, boiled until soft (or microwaved for 2 minutes) and cut into thin slices
1/2 cup grated fontina cheese
6 eggs
1/4 tsp salt, or more to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat broiler. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, saute leeks and potato slices in butter for 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk together fontina, eggs, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture into pan over leeks and potato and cook until frittata is almost set, about 4 or 5 minutes. Place skillet under broiler for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown.

Round out the meal with a simple salad of mixed greens (I used the leftover blood orange vinaigrette from last week's beet salad) and sparkling water with fresh orange slices.