Kid Chef Holiday Giveaway & Edible Gifts

It's been a terrific year empowering young folks in the kitchen. Happily, Kid Chef is actually making a mark on people of all ages, giving countless people new adventures in cooking! To celebrate, my publisher is hosting a special holiday giveaway…. It's the perfect gift for the kid on your list who loves to cook. 

*Feed your Kid Chef's Curiosity* Giveaway: order your young one - or another budding chef in your life - a holiday copy of Kid Chef and be entered to win a kid-friendly cooking kit, complete with BPA-free mixing bowls, measuring cups+spoons, kitchen timer, and a kid-size chef's apron. Click here for all the details. When you place your order and forward confirmation, you’re automatically entered to win! Giveaway ends this Saturday, December 17th, at 11:59pm EST. Good luck and happy cooking!

For this holiday season, I am sharing good food with family and friends, with the understanding that handmade and delicious makes all hearts full. 

For some lucky folks, I made membrillo - aka quince paste - using my friend Leda Meredith's recipe. 

In late summer, I infused a nice brandy with local wild black cherries. I made dark chocolate truffles and added some of the fragrant liqueur while mixing together these heady treats.

The great thing about both of these edible gifts is that they'll keep in the refrigerator for a while. Which means, in the midst of the rest of holiday plans and prep, you can parcel the process into manageable bits, making truly wow-factor gifts without coming up depleted. It's a win-win for everyone… :)

Membrillo
makes enough for 9 x 11 pan

3 1/2 pounds quinces
2 pounds granulated sugar

Wash and peel the quinces, reserving the peels. Core them, adding the cores to the reserved peels. Chop the remaining quince into approximately 2-inch chunks. Tie the peels and cores up in cheesecloth or in a clean muslin bag.

Put the chunks of quince and the bundle of peels and cores into a large pot. Add water to cover by approximately 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the quince chunks are mushy-soft.

Remove and discard the bundle of peels and cores. Strain the remaining cooked quince through a very fine meshed strainer or a double layer of cheesecloth set in a colander (you can use the liquid that strains out to make quince jelly). Leave the quince to strain for 1-2 hours.

Puree the strained quince mash in a food processor or run through a food mill. Weigh or measure the puree, then transfer it to a large pot. Add an equal amount by weight of granulated sugar.

Cook over low heat until very thick, approximately 1 1/2 hours. Stir constantly initially, to dissolve the sugar, and frequently after that. 

When it is done the quince paste will stick to a wooden spoon, and if you drag the spoon over the bottom of the pot it will leave a rut that does not fill in immediately with the quince. Be careful towards the end of the cooking time to stir often, so that it doesn't burn.

Lightly grease a 9 x 11 inch baking dish. Spread quince paste in the dish, smoothing the surface with the back of a spoon. It should be about 1 1/2-inches thick. Let the paste cool in the baking dish.

Dry the paste in your oven at the lowest setting, not higher than 125F/52C, for 8 hours or overnight. If your oven doesn't go this low, prop its door open with a dishtowel or the handle of a wooden spoon. 

The surface should be glossy, not sticky to the touch. Place the quince paste in its baking dish into the refrigerator for 2 hours. Run a knife around the edges. Invert the quince paste onto a plate or sheet of parchment. Cut into small blocks and securely wrap in cellophane or parchment paper, and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Black cherry brandy-infused chocolate truffles

makes 30-40 truffles

1 lb semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate disks or chips (62% cacao or higher), or a block chopped into small pieces - I used Callebaut1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp brandy or liqueur of your choice (Gran Marnier, Luxardo, and Poire Williams are all good) - if you want to infuse, allow at least a month for the infusion to meld, up to 6 months
unsweetened cocoa, for dusting
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Place the chocolate disks or pieces into a mixing bowl. 

In a small saucepan, bring the cream, brandy (or other liqueur), and salt to a simmer, stirring and scraping down the sides occasionally. Pour mixture over the chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. 

Fold the cream and chocolate into each other, until uniform and silky. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until slightly firm, then, using a melon baller, scoop ganache into rough spheres. Refrigerate the lot, placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet, for 30 minutes-1 hour, then quickly roll them (so that they do not melt) between your palms to even their shapes. 

Place enough cocoa to easily coat the truffles in a small shallow bowl. Roll truffles around through the cocoa, then tap each lightly to free any excess. Refrigerate again, layers separated by parchment, in a sealed container until gift-giving time, and at that time, bring to room temperature.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwaanza. Give time to slow down, even if only a day or two, and enjoy your family and loved ones. By so many an account 2016 has been a rough one, but it doesn't make the precious nature of our time any different. See you in 2017! xxx

Sultry Umami Dandelion Greens, Favorite Brussels Salad, Thanksgiving Thoughts

I hadn't planned on making this, a fridge bursting with work projects and all. But I seized upon this bunch of greens so bright and crisp and decided there was room for *one more* recipe, a tangent to indulge myself in the mix of cooking and shooting out-soon cookbooks and far-away magazine stories.

I realized recently that a lot of what I make is what-to-do-with-leftovers, or rescuing food, as I like to call it: creating an exciting meal from the stragglers leftover from work. Sometimes my best eating comes from this spontaneous way of working; I'm not complaining. But it isn't often I go to market and just buy food that I want to make.

A good dandelion salad can be cathartic. I was determined to make the best that I knew how.

And then it almost didn't happen... There was the month-long, seemingly never-ending move (the second in two years!) which had me maxed out. We moved house, office, and studio. Add to that, I am a collector and supply the props for nearly all that I shoot, so this was a certain kind of, ahem, undertaking…. Then hosting family in the first week at new home, new jobs to tackle….you understand.

Despite coming up short for long enough that the greens were near spent, I set aside time and relished the experience. At last.

And, ate almost the entire platter, save for a few stems for dear husband later. So he, too, would know just how magnificent it was.

Consider this at your Thanksgiving feast. It strikes a bright note to offset the many rich foods you may be serving, and is just So. Damn. Good.

Sultry-umami dandelion greens salad

1 bunch dandelion greens, rinsed, patted dry, ends trimmed
2 tsp white wine vinegar 

3 cloves garlic

6 anchovy filets

freshly cracked black pepper

about 1/3 cup good extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp finely chopped (rinse beforehand) preserved lemon rind, or more, to your taste*

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

a couple good glugs of evoo - or a tablespoon of bacon fat - to fry them in

Over medium heat in a cast iron or enameled skillet, melt bacon fat or heat olive oil until it shimmers in the pan. Add breadcrumbs and mix together. Stirring occasionally, move breadcrumbs around the pan to brown evenly, no more than 5 minutes. Transfer them to a dish.

Mash garlic and anchovies in a mortar and pestle to make a thick paste - kind of like this dressing. Add freshly cracked black pepper and the vinegar, and whisk to combine. At a bare drizzle, whisk in the olive oil to emulsify. 

If you are unsure about the consistency or if the dressing is in fact emulsifying, drizzle the oil more slowly, or stop altogether and look at the whisked mixture. Taste. Keep whisking. Add more oil as needed. The end result will be a deeply savory-tangy, velvety, uniform dressing which coats the leaves once tossed together in a large bowl.

After you have tossed the leaves and coated them well in the anchovy dress, transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle the diced preserved lemon, then the crisp breadcrumbs over all. Give a final shower of black pepper, and serve at once.

*The idea for the preserved lemon is to impart occasional tangy-pickled citrusy-yum, rather than a heaviness of "salt". So, taste. Add the 1/2 teaspoon at first and see if it is indeed enough. You can add more as you like, or place a small dish with a bit extra beside the salad as you serve it, to pique interest, offering your guests their own taste.

 See that you don't devour every last leaf and crumb.

Yesterday I shared another great salad on Instagram, which received many requests for "recipe please?" It too makes an ideal accompaniment to your Thanksgiving plans….

Shaved Brussels sprouts & apple salad with hazelnuts and Parmesan

15-20 Brussels sprouts, rinsed and ends trimmed
3-5 Granny Smith or Pink Lady apples (any tart, crisp apple is good)
2 lemons
good olive oil
2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted, rubbed of their skins, and crushed gently under the weight of a pan
shaved Parmigiano Reggiano
sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Slice sprouts very thinly using a sharp knife or mandoline. Transfer the lacy pile to a large platter or serving bowl.

Slice apples into narrow wedges and add to the shaved Brussels sprouts. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze it over the apple slices to prevent oxidation. Gently toss the apples, lemon juice, and sprouts together. Drizzle olive oil over the mixture and taste for fat-acid balance. Add the other lemon - or just a half - and more oil as needed.

Top with the crushed hazelnuts. Using a vegetable peeler or cheese plane, shave Parm over all. Add freshly cracked pepper, a sprinkle of sea salt, and eat at once.

For more Thanksgiving ideas,

This cornbread dressing I made for The New York Times -

In today's New York Times, which features 15 American Thanksgiving traditions, I produced the ultra cheesy baked Sweeney Potatoes, and the brioche-like Venezuelan "Pan de Jamon." We are a nation of immigrants, of many wonderful traditions, and so much terrific food.

When Thanksgiving has passed, turn your mind to the end-of-year holidays and celebrate with these sour cherry ganache chocolate rye sandwich cookies, my last Bounty column with Where Women Cook. Yes, the Creating from the Bounty column is ending, but don't worry. We dreamt up a new column for the next year, one which features Kid Chef! It'll be out December 1st...

But before Thanksgiving comes - and then goes - I want to share a few organizations that could use our help in the name of justice for all, and giving thanks. Whether you contribute time and/or money, give what you can in lieu of the recent election results.

http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org

https://350.org

http://blacklivesmatter.com/

http://sumofus.org

https://actnow.prochoiceamerica.org/

http://presente.org

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope the journey through this year brought you closer to good food in every form, and to the great people you can cook and eat it with.

Blueberry Peach Crisp - My Newest Anthology Story, and "Feeding the Fire" Recipes with the New York Times

You know how when summer arrives, you don't want to cook anything? That thankfully, all the food around you is so fresh, sensual, and flavorful, you don't have to? Yeah. Me too.

There isn't any reason to cook peaches and blueberries. Unless you want an outrageously satisfying dessert. And because I'm a sucker for pie and all things cooked fruit (though this is much easier), I turned on my oven during summer in Alabama and decided to give this idea a whirl. So much *Yay* I made that choice. 

I'm sure all my friends who got their morsels after the spoils got divvied up are happy about this too. So will you, if you choose to make this fantastic blueberry peach crisp, the newest installment in my column at Anthology.

Edit: with Anthology now gone, see below for the full recipe -

Blueberry peach crisp 

serves 8

for the fruit:

3-4 lbs tree-ripened peaches - I tried to find organic and it was impossible (see if you have better luck!)

4 cups organic blueberries

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp all purpose flour

pinch kosher salt

for the crisp:

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 packed cup brown sugar

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 sticks pastured butter, cubed and freezer-cold

3/4 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

pinch salt

vanilla custard ice cream, for serving 

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir with a fork to incorporate. Add ginger and butter to mixture and work butter into dry ingredients with your fingers, until pea-sized crumbs remain. Refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Stir together lemon juice, brown sugar, zest, flour, and salt. Add fruit and toss to combine. 

Pour fruit mixture into a large baking dish and then spoon oat mixture to cover. Bake until crisp is golden and juices bubble, about 50 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. 

Great served warm, room temp, and even cold. This fruity number is excellent all by itself and of course is amazing topped with ice cream. This crisp is so virtuous you could even eat it for breakfast…..

………………………………..

To start the meal to which this crisp offers grand finale, these three recipes I produced for The New York Times most recently should do the trick. The coffee-brown sugar-spice rubbed, slow-cooked pulled lamb shoulder is a definite new favorite….

Here are a few outtakes I loved -

bacon making another starring appearance with this iceberg salad 

broccoli is delicious - here is more proof to that truth

this pulled lamb was ah-mazing. make it. see for yourself. 

I am about to embark on a trip to New York. About to have a blissful upstate weekend away. These are things which will provide a break in my day-to-day. Maybe even renewal. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of fun, but change is good to keep it all perspectivized…..

Also - Oh! Did you see this? 

I'm number one on the list of food stylists who will make you hungry. How cool is that?! Come eat with me. I have food, and we all need to eat. 

If you can't come over, at least follow along with me on the daily fun-slash-food-rescue-missions, over on Instagram. I do try to keep things interesting.

And have a remarkable summer! We all know it's going to zoom before our very eyes…. 

Lift a glass of rosé with loved ones. Eat some grilled squid, a lobster roll, or a bowl of tomatoes dabbed in good mayo. Leave your footprints (and only that, please) on a beach. Revel in the sun-kissed sparkling water surrounding you in a boat excursion, or the mesmerizing fire dance huddled in front of a nighttime campfire. 

Whatever you do, eat good food. Thank you for the love!

Sweet and Savory: Beautiful Piles on Toast, and The New York Times Summer Cooking

Three delicious and unexpected flavor and texture pairings, atop crunchy, chewy toasts. Why not have sweet and savory together, one a foil to the other in a dance, making mealtime especially awesome? That is the theme of this month's Anthology column.

Choose good bread. It's your foundation. 

pink peppercorn salt, fig preserves, and buffalo mozzarela toast

There are limitless opportunities for sweet-savory combinations. Here are a few I thought up in considering this month's vittles…

Which will be your new favorite?

sea salt-sprinkled bruléed bananas on melted chocolate and sourdough toast

How indulgent is your sweet tooth? How much do you crave savory bites? There is something here for everyone.

Pepita honeycomb brittle crumbled over umami grilled lettuce toasts

The fact that each of these is pretty simple to prepare makes them all the more attractive. I can't wait to hear what strikes you, and which you chose for your afternoon (or late night) snack.

Full story and recipes here.

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In more layers of savory, for last week's New York Times Food Section I produced eight recipes to showcase four flavor powerhouses devised by Sam Sifton, which you can pull from and reproduce all summer long. Pretty tantalizing for a summer of good eating.

Here are some of my favorite images from the work, some printed for the feature and others not -

Lobster butter, with wild shrimp for dipping…

Lemon herb compound butter, paired with wild king salmon….

A sweet-spicy-smoky rub for meat…

And, an herby, vinegary marinade for the best grilled meat ever. This is my favorite of the bunch, though choosing a favorite is highly subjective. They are all delicious.

Warm weather is in full gear now. The chanterelle mushrooms are poking their golden caps robustly through the moist, black soil. I hope to bring some home for a new chapter in an ongoing series I've been producing on wild foods.

Most recently, I foraged mulberries (and made an amazing pie), made honeysuckle syrup from cups of plucked blossoms, and have already a haul of blackberries with which a shrub or mostarda (or maybe pie, let's face it) may be its outcome. Good eating, each and every one.

Make something sweet, something savory, for yourself today.