braised cipollini onions and orange cherry tomatoes

I can't believe I haven't posted in over a week. How ironic that two days after I posted my last entry pertaining to a cold remedy, I contracted a nasty sinus infection! Thanks to the honey-garlic cure that I solemnly swear by, nasal irrigation and lots of sleep, I knocked it out within three days. Although, I still have some minor and perhaps new, cold symptoms. The weather has definitely been all over the place. One day it's chilly and the next day it's 87°, this weekend it was warm, then cool and windy and today it's a little muggy and very wet. Nevertheless, I've been really busy and worn out from working and being sick, and I haven't been cooking very much. I'm sorry for the delay.

On a lighter note, the past two weekends I've been scouring the farmer's markets in lower Manhattan with inexhaustible delight. I've been swooning over farm fresh veggies, free range meats, artisanal cheeses and homemade refreshing granitas. I picked some citrusy, lightly fizzy chardonnay from a finger lakes vineyard, a couple of aromatic herb plants and some impressive, albeit expensive, hardneck garlic.

Two weekends ago, after checking out the market at Essex and Hester Street, I discovered my new favorite candy and specialty store called The Sweet Life, deep in the lower east side. I was in awe the moment I walked in the door. I'm not a huge fan of sweets like I used to be. I have some chocolate or a cupcake here and there. I sure love to bake though, and I do taste my creations. This tiny little shop had everyyything! I scooped up some in-house made lavender sea salt milk chocolate bark and browsed over the maple syrups, honey, teas, and baking chocolate. The prices were good, the selection was excellent. They sell Valrhona chocolate in bulk by the pound ($16.99, that's good) in various shades. Fruits, nuts, and nostalgic candies lined the shelves. I met eye to eye with the owner over the towering cash register and requested their specialty. She promptly directed me over to their selection of marshmallow pops dipped in chocolate, milk or dark with a multitude of toppings to choose from. I thought to myself, "marshmallow pops? sounds a bit humdrum". I'm not a huge fan of marshmallows on their own but I took one home to give it a try. Ted and I tried the sea salt caramel milk chocolate. It was exquisite! Super soft homemade marshmallows dipped in gooey caramel then in milk chocolate and topped off with a sprinkling of course sea salt. I'd like an entire box for my birthday.

The tomatoes this summer have been juicy and bursting with flavor. I've been making a lot of tomato sauce with cherry tomatoes, for pasta and sometimes fish. Sometimes I'll add roasted garlic cloves and kalamatas for added flavor and texture. I'll pan roast heirloom or plum tomato slices to top eggs or sauteed greens. Last night I decided to braise golden-orange cherry tomatoes alongside cipollini onions to serve with couscous and broiled skirt steak. I love, love, love braised onions, or any vegetable for that matter. The vegetables are caramelized, sweet and so tender they melt right in your mouth. This dish turned out great, so I'd like to share it with you.



You'll need:

cipollini onions
golden orange cherry tomatoes washed and destemmed (red cherry tomatoes are fine too)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and smashed
broth
olive oil
salt
cooked couscous for serving (I cooked mine in broth for added flavor)

Cipollini onions are a pain to peel. Blanch them to make it easier.
First, cut the ends off the onions.
Take a small pot and fill it with enough water to cover the onions, but don't put the onions in yet. With the top on, bring the water to a boil. Get a bowl of ice water ready. Again, enough ice water to cover the onions.
Boil the onions for one minute and then transfer them to the ice water with a slotted spoon or after straining them with a colander. Peel the thin colored skins off the onions while in the ice water, they should slide off pretty easily. Drain onions on a towel.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a wide skillet on medium high heat. Add the clove of garlic and let it cook until it becomes golden. Remove the clove. I like to eat it!

Add in the onions and cook for a few minutes on each side or until you get a nice golden brown sear. Add in tomatoes and then sprinkle with sea salt. Pour in about a half cup of broth, wait until it boils and then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook at a simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

Pour onions, tomatoes and all of the juice over the couscous and dig in!

oh honey!

It's that time of year again...The transition from warm to cool weather brings sniffles and sore throats. It's time to work harder at protecting ourselves against colds and the flu that are so darn easy to contract! Especially in NYC. Studies show that colds stick around three to seven days longer in people living in New York City. The best thing to do is to prevent them from even happening. I haven't had a full blown cold or the flu in over one and a half years because of eating honey and garlic at the onset. Honey is a wonder food! Honey in its raw form helps soothe sore throats, burns, bruises and minor cuts. It's a natural anti-inflammatory and antiseptic. It helps alleviate seasonal allergies, eases digestion, and is an excellent food to turn to when you need a burst of energy during an afternoon slump. It's packed with energy boosting B vitamins. I often use honey in salad dressings, in my tea, on toast and right off the spoon. I intend to start making mead very soon too. Mead is a very tasty wine made from honey.

I'd like to share the recipe I swear by for fighting colds and the flu. It's best to take this at the onset of symptoms. It will definitely help alleviate seasonal allergy outbreaks too. You may only have to take this once a day before symptoms go away or you may have to take several doses. It's good to be persistent until all symptoms are gone. More than four times a day isn't necessary. Once a day every day and you'll be in excellent health!

You'll need:

Raw honey (raw is recommended, though the honey bear works too)

1 very fresh head of garlic (if the stem of the head is very tight and the cloves are sticky, you've got some very fresh garlic)

Mince or press finely one clove of garlic and let sit for a few minutes to be exposed to the air- this helps release its antibacterial properties.

Add garlic into a small bowl and mix with a small amount of honey (about 1 to 2 teaspoons).

Scoop out garlic and honey mixture (this is one dose) onto a spoon and swallow whole like you're swallowing a pill. Sip some tea afterwards if you'd like.

If you let raw garlic sit on your tongue it will burn your mouth a bit, it's quite an unpleasant taste/feeling.

warning: do not chew honey-garlic mixture and do not eat this on an empty stomach

To make a batch that will last you the day simply press or mince 3-4 cloves of garlic and mix with a tablespoon or more of honey. Store in a baggie or small tupperware container if you're on the go.

herb and onion poached chicken with spicy orange-blossom honey dijon dressing

I'm not a huge fan of chicken breasts. On the occasion that I order chicken breast out somewhere it's often dry, tough and lacking flavor. I like chicken when it's roasted whole with lots of olive oil and herbs and a dusting of sea salt. Or, cooked for hours in a slow cooker with the bone in until it's ultra tender. I looked online to find out the best way to cook the partially frozen chicken breasts I had on hand, and poaching them was the best way to go. I've poached eggs plenty of times, but I never thought about poaching poultry or meat. It produces fantastic results! The meat cooks slowly in barely simmering broth pulling in moisture and flavors from the liquid. For this one I mixed orange blossom honey with strong dijon mustard, a tiny squirt of sriracha hot sauce and some of the herb and onion broth to make a thin but flavorful sauce. You can also try reducing the broth (boil with lid off for 10 minutes) and then adding a little cornstarch to thicken it up. I served this with a lightly dressed green salad and a sliced baguette with olive oil and herbs for dipping. Enjoy!

Serves 3-4

1 lb of young chicken breasts (I always buy free range chicken, it tastes so much better)

4-5 cups of vegetable broth (I use Better Than Bouillon or vegetable broth powder)

1/2 of a small onion, sliced

3 sprigs of rosemary

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 teaspoon of sea salt

1/2 teaspoon of dried lemongrass

1 teaspoon of curry powder

1/2 teaspoon of black peppercorns

3 cloves garlic, crushed

Add everything but the chicken into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes and then reduce to barely a simmer (medium low to low heat).

Cut chicken breasts in half if you need to and then add to broth. Arrange so that the chicken is submerged. Allow to cook with the lid off for 15 minutes.

Now would be a good time to make the sauce

Combine in a small bowl: 1 heaping tablespoon of orange blossom honey (raw is fine), 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard and a squirt sriracha hot sauce (1/2 teaspoon perhaps). Stir until smooth. When chicken is done cooking stir in a teaspoon or two or the broth to thin the sauce out.

Stick a meat thermometer into a larger piece of chicken to check for doneness. You can also just pull it out and cut in half to check. Smaller pieces should be done at this point and can be transferred to a serving dish. If center is still pink cook for 5 more minutes. Do not overcook the chicken. You want the center to be opaque white and moist.

Transfer all chicken to serving dish with some of the onions and rosemary. Drizzle with sauce and serve immediately.

five minute scrumptious hummus

I had never tasted hummus before I moved to NYC, and when a friend first introduced it to me, I instantly fell in love. It was the creamy, buttery Sabra brand if I recall correctly. Cool, savory, nutty, garlic-y and smooth, I've tried my fair share of hummus. I've tried and tasted a multitude of store bought brands in various flavors, visited countless falafel restaurants, the hummus place, the hummus kitchen, etc. This recipe pretty much tops them all, as hard as that is for me to say. I mean, it came out my own kitchen and this is only my second time making hummus! This is a recipe I found on About.com and modified to my liking. It's just... perfect. It's so smooth while holding a little texture and boasts a great combination of flavors. Crushed chili pepper gives it a little kick and the garlic really shines through. It's great on warm pita bread, as a dip for crudités, smeared on bread as a flavorful alternative for your usual mayo or mustard, or even tossed with warm pasta! Hummus is packed with protein and fiber and will keep you feeling full and energized. This recipe only takes 5 minutes to make. Just throw all the ingredients in your blender or food processor and blend away.

This recipe makes about 1.5 cups of hummus

You'll need:

A food processor or blender

1 can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and 1/4 cup of liquid reserved

2 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled

the juice of one small lemon

1/2 teaspoon of dried lemongrass

1 teaspoon of dried crushed chili pepper

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 heaping tablespoon of tahini

1/4 cup of quality extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in food processor, blend for 30 seconds or until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and make a little well in the middle with a spoon. Pour in some olive oil and then sprinkle with a little fine salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Last weekend was a lot of fun, but it was too close to home. For the past four years I've attended one music festival or another. I'm talking about goth industrial and electronic music festivals where everyone is done up in their darkest and sexiest clubwear and lots of eyeliner, of course. It's a dancing parade of stompy boots, corsets, hot pants, gowns, skinny pants, tiny skirts, fishnets and collars. Where the drinking starts at breakfast and the party goes on for days. I've attended them in Sweden, Germany and Montréal. Last Thursday, NYC's first major goth industrial festival, Triton, kicked off at Santo's party house and carried on for the next three days at Oceana ballroom in Coney Island. I think 25 bands played over the long weekend. My boyfriend Ted and I were excited to see a handful of them. We saw at least two very good performances out of the bands we went to see. The problem was Coney Island. It's terribly inaccessible when you live in North Brooklyn, about an hour and a half long trip via train and you have to go into Manhattan first. Lame! Because of this, we unfortunately didn't make it to the final night. I would've loved to see The Gothsicles, Imperative Reaction and Hanzel und Gretel. I won't deny it though, I was perfectly happy staying home and making this luscious cake while watching Futurama! This is seriously one of the best desserts to have ever crossed my lips. It's dairy free too! and full of all those healthy fats. I ended up making this because I forgot to pick up butter at the grocery store and I am so, so glad I did. I need to make this again before all the berries are gone! Berries would be the perfect accompaniment to this cake, even some preserves. I topped mine with a simple vanilla glaze and some yellow sprinkles for fun. Oh wait! So, you're initial reaction may be, "Ugh! Olive oil in cake? That sounds nasty". I implore you to try it. You can't taste the olive oil and the oil is what makes it super duper moist. Did I mention that the thick and sweet, lemony cake batter is lightened up with a gorgeous pillow of meringue right at the end!? Yes, you have to make this. I don't think you need a springform pan, but it makes for a nice presentation.

You'll need:

1 9 inch springform greased with olive oil
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
1 cup cake flour
5 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites
3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350°, you'll be using the middle rack.

TIP: You don't have to buy cake flour. If you have all purpose flour and cornstarch you're set!
Simply measure out 1 cup of all purpose flour and remove 2 leveled tablespoons of the flour. Replace those 2 tablespoons of flour with 2 tablespoons of corn starch. Voila! Cake flour. Cake flour yields a light and fluffy cake.

Finely zest entire lemon and whisk zest together with flour. Halve and squeeze the lemon and reserve 3 tablespoons of juice.

With an electric mixer and large bowl, beat yolks and 1/2 cup sugar at high speed until thick and pale, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add 3/4 cup olive oil and lemon juice, beating until combined; mixture may appear separated. Fold in flour mixture with a wooden spoon or large rubber spatula until just combined.

Clean your beaters. Time to make the meringue.

With an electric mixer, whisk egg whites with 1/2 teaspoon salt on medium-high speed until foamy. Continue whisking and slowly add 1/4 cup sugar until egg whites turn into a beautiful, glossy white pillow, about 2-3 minutes. Fold into cake batter until combined. Pour into pan. Sprinkle remaining sugar on top and bake until set and toothpick comes out clean. About 22 minutes.

Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove sides from pan. Drizzle with vanilla glaze or top with berries if desired. I like it served slightly warm.

To make vanilla glaze: Combine 3 tablespoons of confectioner's sugar with a drop of vanilla and a few drops of milk. Add more milk if needed until a smooth, thin yogurt-like consistency is achieved. Drizzle on cake with spoon.

This recipe is adapted from the April 2006 issue of Gourmet.

viking themed banana bread cupcakes with scharffen berger bittersweet chocolate frosting and marzipan candies for mike and zoh's wedding

:D

Curried eggs with feta, thai basil and heirloom tomato

I love Sunday brunch! But cooking for a crowd is typically stressful. Especially with very limited counter (in my case, table) space and a hangover. My hashbrowns turned into more of a mash with carmelized vegetables and Mark wanted me to cook two whole packages of bacon for the four of us! I shockingly disapproved. I was quite happy though because he picked up some artisan sourdough and fresh picked heirloom tomatoes, peppers and thai basil from the Sunday farmstand at Roberta's. I get really excited about super fresh locally grown produce. These eggs came out really yummy. Enjoy!

Breakfast for 4:

Serve with sourdough toast, bacon and fruit.

8 large eggs
salt
madras curry powder
1 medium heirloom tomato, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
olive oil
4 oz of crumbled feta cheese
2 sprigs of thai basil torn into pieces, with blossoms preferably




Scramble eggs in a mixing bowl with two teaspoons of curry powder and a big pinch of salt. Set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When skillet is hot, add tomato slices, sprinkle with salt and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer cooked tomatoes to a plate.

Add eggs to skillet and stir frequently. Cook just until eggs are no longer liquid and then turn the heat off. Fold in basil and feta cheese and immediately transfer to serving dish. Top with tomato slices and more basil for garnish.

Mod Squad Curry: "It's like a kick in the face"

Maesri curry pastes are the shit! Last night I made massaman curry with vegetables and tofu using their massaman curry paste and it was delectable. I've tried some other curry pastes by Maesri and this is by far my favorite one. This one is packed with garlic, red chilies, lemongrass, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, tamarind and other fragrant spices. I blended it with coconut milk, chicken broth, and a pinch of minced smoked ghost pepper for a gratifying, piquant smack in the face combination of flavors. The ghost pepper is the hottest chili pepper in the world. I mean, they use it for weapons. I'm guessing it wouldn't be easy to come by in a grocery store, you may have to order some online. Our friends picked us up a bag of ghost peppers when they visited the Florida Keys earlier this year. I mainly use it in pasta dishes and curries. You should be able to find Maesri curry pastes in any asian grocery store for 75¢ to $1.50 or you can buy a pack online. I made this with tofu but you can make it with beef, chicken, shrimp, duck or whatever protein you really want.

To serve 4:

oil for sautéing

I small to medium yellow onion, chopped into large pieces

salt

1 can of coconut milk plus a half can of water

1 can Maesri massaman curry paste

1 T of chicken or vegetable broth powder or 1 bouillon cube (I used chicken bouillon)

2 large potatoes, large dice

1 1/2 cups of peeled and sliced carrots (about 1/4 inch thickness)

2 cups of bite size broccoli florets

1 package of pressed tofu -or- 1 lb of chicken breast or steak, cut into cubes

-or- 1 lb of shrimp, peeled with tails on

Steamed white or brown rice for serving

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil with the lid on, then remove lid and let boil for 4 minutes. Strain.

Heat some oil in a wok or a wide heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and a little salt and cook until fragrant and softened, about 4 minutes. Add in coconut milk, water, broth or bouillon and curry paste. Stir well and bring to a simmer.

You always want to cook the more dense vegetables first or your curry will be soggy. Stir in the potatoes and carrots, cover and cook for 5 minutes. If you're adding zucchini or mushrooms add those in during the last 10 minutes since they don't take long to cook.

Sauté chicken, beef or shrimp in a skillet with a little oil for a couple minutes just until the outside is cooked and then stir into curry. If you're using tofu add that in. Stir in broccoli, then cover and let simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender. Ladle curry into bowls over rice and serve.