We’ve been eating our weight in butternut squash lately, and I am a big fan of its abundant, silky flesh. It’s my fave, as far as squash go. While the top of the butternut is nothing but squash, the amount of edible squash in the rounded bottom is scant. While it’s not usually thought of as a stuffing squash, we have so many, I thought I’d experiment a little. [Read more…]
now in season: redbor kale + kale, butternut squash, and orange salad
Our last CSA share of the year featured a bunch of Redbor kale. I loved its deep purple and green hues and stashed it for a weekday salad–my favorite use for kale. A few days later, I roasted a butternut squash (one of seven to pass through my kitchen in the past month), and supremed an orange to go with it. [Read more…]
fresh pear vinaigrette
I usually make my go-to salad dressing of olive oil and rice wine vinegar with a pinch of salt when dinner is about thirty seconds from the table and I realize the salad isn’t dressed. If I have some shallots or citrus and a full sixty seconds to spare, I’ll add that. Otherwise, it’s the old standby, which, while perfectly flavorful, can get a bit dull. So when I need to break out, add more flavor, or want to make something more memorable, I look to the blender. Here, a single pear and a bit of red onion make for a surprisingly creamy, mild dressing that happens to blend beautifully with radicchio. [Read more…]
fried sage leaves
Fried sage leaves have long eluded me. It turns out, I was just cooking them for way too long. But now, as the first frosts threaten and my roof deck sage starts to yellow, I’m totally ready with a simple approach to frying up sage. I find the technique heightens the flavor, but also tempers it with a pleasant nuttiness. It’s pretty much exactly what you want to be eating on a chilly fall day. [Read more…]
maple-braised pork belly
Last week, things in my kitchen got real. Like, 13 pounds of pork belly–skin, hair, and all. I unwrapped the butcher paper, and there it was–an actual pig’s belly spread out on my kitchen table. Usually Brian deals with meat, but this time around, it was all me. So, I rubbed the belly down with sugar, salt, and paprika, and made it happen. Eight hours of braising later, the meat was supremely tender and my mission was accomplished.
The pork belly was for Brunch for Barack, an event that we co-hosted with Veronica Chan at the Chan Deck, Long Island City’s up-and-coming test kitchen for new and adventurous ideas in food. [Read more…]