When the heat blisters, no one wants to cook. Instead we rely on cold foods especially refreshing soups that require no cooking at all. None is more so than Ajo Blanco, a soup of Spanish origins made from almonds, bread and olive oil. Jump to Recipe Most Spaniards probably know how to make this soup without a recipe. I find that a recipe helps a great deal. I start by selecting the bread and removing
Anchovy Sticks
Salty, buttery, crunchy with a hint of spice, that’s the way I like a nibble before a meal. These Anchovy Sticks are the kind of light but satisfying snack to offer at dinner or in a picnic basket packed with cheese, salami and fruit. Made with purchased puff pastry and a jar of anchovies, these can be fresh for guests within an hour. The recipe consists of rows of anchovies sandwiched between two layers of
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Pan Bagnat
Pan Bagnat is always something we eat by the shore after a day in the sun – sometimes we do more eating than swimming. A popular sandwich in the south of France, pan bagnat means bathed bread because it swims in a mixture of garlic and olive oil and the juices of ripe summer vegetables. Make these sandwiches on a baguette or large rolls. The bread soaks up the juices and the crisp crust holds
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Wednesday, June 28
Slow Rise Picnic Loaf
“Time equals taste,” bakers say. One reliable way to get a tasty loaf of bread without too much fuss is letting it rise slowly. This Slow Rise Picnic Loaf is one I bake when I need lots of good bread with a pleasant chewy crumb and crisp crust with little fuss. Quality wheat gives this loaf its great flavor. I use all-purpose flour from King Arthur or Maine Grains. Sometimes I swap out a few
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Tuesday, June 27
Sunny Side Up Eggs My Way
If you shared the kitchen with me many mornings recently, you’d see me playing with eggs. Soft boiled, hard boiled, on toast or in an egg cup, eggs brighten my morning. And now sunny side up eggs my way. My latest addiction started when we brought home some leftover crab fried rice from September in Bangkok in New Haven, Connecticut. Sunny Side Up Eggs My Way was born. Rice topped with a fried egg isn’t
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Pissaladière
A specialty of Provence in France, pissaladière is an onion tart topped with interwoven strips of red pepper, anchovy fillets and olives. Most of us adore its slightly sweet and salty flavor. (When I bring pissaladière to our boules parties, it’s the first thing that gets gobbled up.) There is nothing difficult about making this dish but a few astuces (tips) will ensure that your pissaladière is crisp not soggy. Some pointers: The tarte consists
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Jacques’ Fast Flaky Pastry for Pies and Tartes
My all-time favorite tart and pie crust recipe comes from Jacques Pepin’s book, The Art of Cooking. You simply mix flour and cubes of cold butter in the bowl of a food processor. Add a little water and presto, perfect dough. What I call Jacques’ Fast Flaky Pastry for Pies and Tartes is my go-to recipe for so many treats. Jump to Recipe Many have published this terrific recipe because it is foodproof. Even if
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Strawberry Rhubarb Almond Tart
Following the theme of perfect pairings, strawberries and rhubarb are companionable ingredients. But don’t overlook the happy flavor combination of these seasonal fruits plus almonds. For this Strawberry Rhubarb Almond Tart, prepare a light filling made with almond butter. It adds a toasty flavor and acts as a moisture barrier keeping the crust crisp after baking. Consider this a master recipe for making summery tarts. Jump to Recipe Here is my mise en place and
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Wednesday, January 25
Tuna Poke-Style for Two
What better perk-me-up that super fresh tuna and avocado in an umami-rich sauce? Tuna Poke-Style on a pillow of diced avocado always makes me smile. But we only eat it when the tuna is impeccably fresh. And I have never made it for more than just the two of us. Fresh tuna is that rare treat we only purchase from a sustainable source. In the Northeast, wild-caught Atlantic yellow-fin tuna or ahi, which we often
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Seat-of-the-Pants Soup
Soups rarely require a recipe in our house. Seat-of-the-pants soup I call it. For the most part, I just chop up a mirepoix. I sauté it until the vegetables are slightly limp or darker brown for more flavor. It depends on what I’m going to add to the pot. Whatever scraps of fish, meat or poultry I find get added along with more vegetables if we have them and some water. Or stock. The ingredients
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"Let no man fancy he knows how to dine Till he has learnt how taste and taste combine."
-Horace, Satires, 2.4They're here!
