Cocktail: The Americano

The Americano
Adapted from The Cocktail Codex by Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, and David Kaplan

For one Drink 

1 ounce Campari
1 ounce sweet vermouth, Carpano Antica or Martini
4 ounces cold club soda
1 orange half wheel for garnish

Pour the Campari and vermouth into a glass. Add 3 ice cubes and stir until combined. Add club soda and stir once. Garnish with orange half wheel. 

 

For Julia Reed

I wrote this original post on March 17, 2014, but on August 28, 2020, the unimaginable happened. Julia Reed died of cancer while vacationing with friends. I say unimaginable because even though I didn't know-know her, she was part of my life. I had all of her books; I collected her newspaper columns; I read everything written about her I could get my hands on. I wanted to meet her but didn't think I really had to because she was already my friend. She made me laugh and shared her best recipes. She introduced me to her beloved beagle, Henry. She gave me decorating tips. She seemed larger than life and too good to be true. It's hard to say Rest In Peace for the girl whose motto was Let the Good Times Roll, so I'll just say thank you.

Here is Jon Meachams's Tribute to Julie Reed in Garden & Gun.

Original Post from March 17, 2014

Alex Witchel and Frank Rich used to be tops on the list of people I have never met who I want to invite me to dinner. I was hoping for great conversation and these lamb chops. But not any more.

I want Jon Meacham to invite me to his place for a party.

Yes, we can discuss Thomas Jefferson. Yes, we can talk about Winston Churchill and FDR. Yes, I can ask what Joe Scarborough is like and see if he doesn’t think Mika Brzezinski should get the Nobel Peace Prize for trying to keep the decibel level on Morning Joe down.

But what I really want is to have Jon Meacham’s wife Keith and her friend Julia Reed have me over so we can cook and eat together.

There is nothing that makes me happier than discovering a new canapé or spending long days - and nights - planning a party. I have clocked so many hours with my friend Keith Meacham, who, like me, was born in the Mississippi Delta, armed with legal pads and Post-it notes, poring over seating charts and mapping out possible menus, that her husband Jon, the author and editor of Newsweek, now refers to us - with more than a hint of derision - as the “crabmeat caucus.”

 from Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties by Julia Reed

I keep Julia Reed’s food columns from The New York Times in a binder.  (The one called Member of the Club is my favorite.)  Her books Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialities and But Mama Always Put Vodka in Her Sangria are dog-eared on my shelf and downloaded on my Kindle and iPad for easy access. I even went as far as subscribing to Garden & Gun magazine so I can read The High and the Low, Julia Reed’s monthly column.

In a previous incarnation, I lived in Atlanta for eight years. I celebrated Thanksgiving weekends cheering for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on their home turf or play football between the Hedges at the University of Georgia. I ate my fair share of “puhmenna” cheese, hot pepper jelly, and had a Varsity Hot Dog or two, and I agree completely what Julia Reed meant when she said this about New York:

In a city where “hors d’oeuvres” all too often mean ubiquitous skewers of dried-out chicken saté or half-cooked snow peas with an ambiguous “fish paste” piped inside, it is relatively easy to wow people, and I have yet to discover a deviled egg or a giant lump of crabmeat bathed in homemade mayonnaise that didn’t do the trick.”

from Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties by Julia Reed

Now the 2014 holiday season is upon us, and in honor of Julia Reed, on New Year's Eve I will be drinking as much Champagne as I can get my hands on, but once January second rolls around, and the post-holiday doldrums kick in, I’ll be dreaming about green grass, blue skies, 80-degree days, and this drink - my go-to summer cocktail for entertaining, which I adapted from Julia Reed's Corpse Reviver 2.

It's named in honor of Flavia de Luce, the intrepid sleuth in Alan Bradley's marvelous mystery series that begins with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, because with the Pernod left out, the corpse is left cold, not revived.

Flavia (pronounced Flay-via)

Adapted from Julia Reed's Corpse Reviver No. 2 in But Mama Always Put Vodka in Her Sangria

For one drink

1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce Plymouth Gin
1 ounce orange liqueur (I use Mathilde XO; you can use Cointreau)
1 ounce Lillet Blanc
1 Luxardo cherry for garnish 

Shake, shake, shake the first four ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice until very cold. Serve in a martini glass garnished with a cherry.

Sweet-Sour Cucumber Salad

Adapted from The Hungarian Cookbook by Susan Derecksey AND The Frog Commissary Cookbook by Steven Poses, Anne Clark, and Becky Roller

Most often I make a cucumber salad that is made with sour cream. However, this Sweet-Sour Cucumber Salad goes especially well with Hungarian recipes and with Asian, especially Thai, dishes. 

Sweet-Sour Cucumber Salad
Adapted from The Hungarian Cookbook by Susan Derecksey AND The Frog Commissary Cookbook by Steven Poses, Anne Clark, and Becky Roller

It's good to let the cucumbers marinate in the refrigerator for a couple of hours if you have the time or have thought about. If not, don't let that stop you from making this salad; it's still good made right ahead of time.

2 medium-size cucumber (peeled or, if they are unwaxed, unpeeled - your choice)

1/4 cup white wine vinegar (I usually use white balsamic vinegar since I have it on hand)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Halve the cucumbers, remove the seed with a pointy spoon, and cut into thin slices.

Make the dressing by mixing together the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Adjust to taste.

Mix the cucumbers with  the dressing.

Potato Gratin Dauphinois

Adapted from A Passion for Potatoes by Lydie Marshall

Serves 4 to 6

This is the only recipe I use from this book, but it's so good I think I'm going to read the book cover-to-cover looking for other treats.

You must use some kind of mandolin - even a plastic one - to slice the potatoes thin enough. This is deliriously good. Note there is no cheese of any kind in this dish.

1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced (or 1 large garlic clove cut in half)
2 pounds (6 cups) Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick (I use a Benriner mandoline for this)
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ cups half-and-half
1 tablespoons cold butter
1/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 2-quart rectangular or oval dish (Pyrex works fine). Scatter the minced garlic in the dish, or rub a cut garlic clove around the dish.

Put three overlapping layers of potatoes in the pan, lightly sprinkling salt between each layer. Slowly pour the half-and-half over the potatoes, barely covering them. Dot the top with butter.

Put the dish in the oven, and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove the dish from the oven, and pour the heavy cream on top of the potatoes, tilting the pan back and forth to baste the top layer. Put the dishback in the oven and bake for another 45 minutes or until the top is golden.

Double Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from Flavor Flours by Alice Medrich

Note 1: I make the dough and refrigerate it overnight. If you don't want or have the time to do this, you should refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours before baking. I always preheat my oven enough in advance that it is at the desired temperature for at least 15 minutes before putting the cookies in to bake. Thirty minutes is better. Always let the oven reheat again for at least 5 minutes before putting in a new batch to bake.

Note 2: This recipe - the best oatmeal recipe I have found - is gluten-free. If this is important to you, and you are using Bob's Red Mill Oat Flour, make sure you use the one that is marked GF as it is produced in a gluten-free facility.

Note 3: This recipe is adaptable going from raisins and walnuts to other ingrdients. I have used white chocolate and macadamia nuts in their place and plan to try them with dark chocolate chips and pecans.

Double Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from Flavor Flours by Alice Medrich

125g oat flour
190g rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda    
3/4 teaspooon xanthan gum (Do NOT omit this.)
225 - 227 unsalted butter, melted and cooled
150g granulated sugar
150g packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs at room temperature
115g coarsely chopped walnut pieces
140 grams raisins

Combine the oat flour, rolled oats, salt, baking soda, and xanthan gum in a medium bowl, and mix blended.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the teaspoon of vanilla.

In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugars, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk in the egg and vanilla mixture. Stir in the oat mixture and mix the batter with a spatula for about 1 minutes. (If you want the cookies to be crunchy, don't mix longer than this. The longer you mix, the chewier they will be.) Stir in the nuts and raisins. Let stand for a minimum of 2 hours or. preferably - and what I ALWAYS do - is refrigerate the dough overnight.

Preheat the oven to 325°F regular bake; 300°F convection bake if you have it. I use convection.

Using a cookie scoop and your hands, roll the dough into balls 25g each. (I weight each one as I go along.) Put 6 balls on each parchment-lined* half sheet pan you are using, and bake for 16 to 20 minutes. (I bake mine for 17 minutes, but this, of course, depends on your oven.)

*If you want the cookies especially crunchy, use foil with the dull side up on your half sheet pans instead of parchment.

Cocktail - The Last Word

The Last Word

Adapted from Cocktail Codex by Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, and David Kaplan  

This is a lovely drink with a complex herbaceous flavor from the green Chartreuse.  

3/4 ounce gin
3/4 ounce green Chartreuse
3/4 ounce Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

Add the gin, Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until cold.

Cocktail - Corpse Reviver Number 2

 Julia Reed's Corpse Reviver No. 2

Adapted from But Mama Always Put Vodka in Her Sangria by Julia Reed

For one drink

1 ounce Plymouth Gin

1 ounce Orange Liqueur*

1 ounce Lillet Blanc

1 ounce lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon Pernod

1 Luxardo cherry for garnish

Shake, shake, shake the first four ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice until very cold. Serve in a coupe glass garnished with a cherry.

*Regarding orange liqueur, it's easy to make this harder than it has to be. If you make cocktails at home, you will most likely have already made the decision about what orange liqueur you like best - Triple Sec, Curaçao, Cointreau, Grand Marnier, and a lot of others.

I like Mathilde Orange XO and Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao, both made by the same house. One (Mathilde) is sweeter than the other. I usually use Mathilde XO. 

Cocktail - Thyme 75

Adapted from The Comfortable Kitchen by Alex Snodgrass and Cocktail Codex by Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, and David Kaplan 

Thyme 75

For one drink

1 ounce Plymouth Gin
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce thyme simple syrup*
4 ounces cold dry sparkling wine (Prosecco, Cava, or Champagne)
1 thyme sprig for garnish

Shake all the ingredients except the sparkling wine with ice then either strain into a flute or a couple and top with the sparkling wine. Stir gently with a barspoon to mix the sparkling wine with the cocktail. Garnish with a sprig of thyme. 

Cocktail - The Negroni

Adapted from Gabrielle Hamilton and The Cocktail Codex by Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, and David Kaplan  

The Negroni

For one drink

1 ounce Plymouth Gin
1 ounce Sweet Vermouth*
1 ounce Campari
Garnish with a half wheel of orange

Shake or stir the ingredients together and either strain into an old fashioned glass over ice or go rogue and serve straight up. 

*Regarding sweet vermouth:

Gabrielle Hamilton uses Noilly Prat in America, Martini in Italy (because it's available everywhere), and Antica Carpano if she having more than one because it's softer and less bitter, which is actually the point of an appetite-stimulating pre-dinner aperitif. (She does not recommend Dolin.) The Cocktail Codex boys without hesitation recommend Antica Carpano. I usually use Martini.

Cocktail - The Fresh Gimlet

Adapted from The Cocktail Codex

Fresh Gimlet

For one drink

2 ounces Plymouth Gin
1 ounce fresh lime juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup*
Garnish with 1 lime wedge

Shake all the ingredients together then strain into a coupe. Garnish with a lime wedge.

*Simple Syrup
From The Kitchn

Simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water. 

250g filtered water
250g white sugar

Heat the water by itself, but do not bring it to a boil. Add the sugar and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Cool completely and store in a jar in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.

I drink a fresh gimlet because I avoid Rose's Lime Juice, which comes in a plastic bottle and has high-fructose corn syrup and dye in it - things I avoid.

Cocktail Notes

The Cocktail Codex  by Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, and David Kaplan and The Book of Cocktail Ratios by Michael Ruhlman are the two cocktail books I turn to. And I owe a big hat tip to John Maddox who really fueled my interest in cocktails.

Some Basics to Start

Simple Syrup
From The Kitchn

Simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water. 

250g filtered water
250g white sugar

Heat the water by itself, but do not bring it to a boil. Add the sugar and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Cool completely and store in a jar in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.

Orange Liqueur

It's easy to make this harder than it has to be. If you make cocktails at home, you will most likely have already made the decision about what orange liqueur you like best - Triple Sec, Curaçao, Cointreau (a brand of Triple Sec), Grand Marnier (not exactly but similar to Curaçao) and a lot of others. If you want to do a deep dive into this, check out Serious Eats on the subject.

I personally prefer Mathilde Orange XO, which has a hint of sweetness. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao, which has an enthusiastic following, is quite dry. 

All citrus juice is fresh.

Only use Luxardo Cherries. It's worth going for broke here. Remember the spoon will have delicous syrup on it. Dip it into some lucky person's drink.

Cocktails I Make at Home

Corpse Reviver No. 2

The Fresh Gimlet

Thyme 75

The Last Word

The Negroni

Jeremy's Black Beans

Adapted from the chapter Beans and Me by Jeremy Jackson in Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant by Jenni-Ferrari-Adler

Jeremy's Black Beans 
Adapted from the chapter Beans and Me by Jeremy Jackson in Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant by Jenni-Ferrari-Adler

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 15-ounce can of black beans with their liquid
Salt and pepper
Top with sour cream (optional)

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 2-quart saucepan. Add the onion, and cook until the onion starts to brown. Add the garlic, and, stirring, cook for 1 minute more, being careful not to let the garlic burn.

Add the beans with all the liquid in the can, stir, and lower the heat.

Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring every now and then so the beans don't stick to the bottom of the pan. The liquid will thicken a little.

Jeremy Jackson serves these beans over cornbread, which I am sure is delicious. But I serve them over rice.

These go especially well with roasted chicken or thin pork chops, grilled. For a delicious and beautiful meal, you can serve guacamole on the plate as a condiment.

Guacamole

 Adapted from Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibanez

This can be served with chips or used as a condiment.  

Guacamole

Adapted from Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibanez
See also FOOD52

You want to make this as close to the time you are going to eat it as possible. However, if you need to make it a little bit ahead, cover the bowl with cling film smashed up against the guacamole to keep as much air out as you can. The lime juice should also help a little to keep it from turning brown.

This can be doubled.

1 ripe, but not mushy, Hass avocado (the pebbly black, not the shiny green, avocado)
2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (if it doesn't taste like soap to you)
4 shakes of original Tabasco red
6 shakes of Tabasco green (jalapeño)
Maldon Sea Salt to taste crushed between your fingers
Juice of half a fresh lime
Optional:  You can add some chopped fresh jalapeño, including the seeds for heat.

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop the contents of the avocado into a bowl using a tablespoon. Use a potato masher to mash the avocado, leaving some texture. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with a spoon. You can add more Tabasco red, Tabasco green, cilantro, and salt according to your taste.

Hungarian Stuffed Green Peppers

This recipe is one where the use of a Microplane Medium Ribbon Grater shines. It allows you to grate the onion back and forth so the onion and its juice goes right into the meat mixture. You have the flavor of onion without little perceptible pieces of it in the meat. I also do this when I make meatballs.

I use a regular rasp Microplane to grate the garlic. In this recipe, it MUST be grated, not minced. This also works well for meatballs.

Left is a Microplane Medium Ribbon; Right is a Microplane Rasp

Hungarian Stuffed Green Peppers
Adapted from The Hungarian Cookbook by Susan Derecskey

6 green bell peppers
Salt
1/4 cup rice (I use basmati because that's what I always have on hand.)
1 egg, lightly beaten
A pinch of pepper
1 pound chopped meat, either beef or pork (I always use beef.)
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed between your fingers as you add it
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
A whole onion cut in half, peel removed (Cutting it in half makes it easy to grate.)
1 clove of garlic
About 3 cups tomato sauce* 
Steamed or boiled potatoes, for serving

*I don't buy canned tomato sauce. I buy cans of cherry tomatoes and put them through a food mill, but you can use canned tomato sauce for this.

Wash the peppers, cut off the top, and core the inside doing your best not to puncture the bottoms. Parboil them in lots of boiling salted water for 5 minutes. This will soften them and make them less bitter.

Parboil the rice for 10 minutes.

Put the egg and a pinch of pepper in a bowl and beat with a fork. Add the meat, a little salt (no more than 1/2 teaspoon), rice, dried marjoram, and fresh parsley.

Take the onion half and using a Microplane Ribbon Grater, grate half or a quarter (based on the size of the onion) of that into the bowl.

Using a regular rasp Microplane, grate the garlic into the bowl. (Grate the garlic; do not mince it. If you don't have a rasp Microplane grater, leave it out.)

Mix everything lightly with your hands; the less you handle the meat, the better. Put the meat mixture into the peppers. Do not pack it in, and do not fill right to the top of the peppers.

Put the peppers into a baking pan, put the tomato sauce around them, and bake in a 325°F oven for 1 hour.

Serve with steamed (what I use) or boiled potatoes.

Cucumber and sour cream salad goes well with this dish.

Lecsó

When Walter was growing up his mother made lecsó, a typical Hungarian dish made of tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions - essentially a tomato, pepper, and onion stew - to which she would add Magyar Lecsó Kolbász - a Hungarian smoked and cooked garlic sausage, which I am able to order from The Hungarian Meat Market in Fairfield, Connecticut. I do this once a year so I have enough sausage in the freezer to make this hearty dish during the cold months of winter. Judging from the ingredients - peppers and tomatoes - I don't think that in Hungary this is actually a cold weather dish, but it just seems right as the golden season of fall arrives, and the first mornings of frost appear, to eat this dish.

I use high-quality canned tomatoes and red bell peppers for this dish. There is no fresh garlic in the dish because the sausages are very garlicky on their own.

Lescó
Adapted from The Hungarian Cookbook by Susan Derecsksey

8 red bell peppers, sliced into strips about a half inch wide, not rings
1-1/2 large yellow onions, chopped
Olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons sweet HUNGARIAN paprika
3 (three) 400g cans of tomatoes, either Italian DOP or Cento Cherry Tomatoes, put through a food mill 
2 links of Magyar Lesco Kolbász, cut into 2 cm slices
Full fat sour cream, for serving

I use my 6-quart All Clad "stockpot" here because it is wide rather than deep and makes it easy to cook the onions and peppers.

Cover the bottom of your pan with olive oil, about 1/4 inch. Add the chopped onions and sauté slowly without letting them brown. Add the sliced peppers and stir to coat with the olive oil and onion. Next add the paprika, starting with 2 tablespoons, and stir. You want to use a low heat here because you want the paprika to bloom, not burn. Then add the third tablespoon of paprika and cook for a few more minutes, 3 to 4 is good. 

Add the tomatoes and a little salt. Partially cover the pan, and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure the heat is not so high the bottom will scorch. After 30 minutes, add the sliced sausage and cook for another 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top, rice and cucumber salad.  Green beans lightly tossed with olive oil and salt go well with it too if you would also like a vegetable.

Shrimp Salad

I always have IQF wild Georgia shrimp, jumbo (21 to 25 per pound) in my freezer. They are shipped to me from Anchored Shrimp Company, a family-owned and operated seafood company in Brunswick, GA. They are shrimp - no preservatives, no salt, not anything but wild shrimp. 

Unless the weather is warm, I have to go out of my way to have fresh tarragon on hand, but I make it my business to have it when I am going to make this recipe because I think it adds a lot to the dish.

I do not devein my shrimp, but if you are in the habit of doing so, by all means do it here. 

Shrimp Salad
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

1 pound extra large shrimp (21-25 shrimp per pound), peeled
2 cups cold water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice and another tablespoon fresh lemon juice (usually 1 large lemon is enough)
1 teaspoon salt
Reserved halves of the lemon, cut into quarters
5 sprigs of parsley
About 1 teaspoon minced parsley leaves
3 sprigs fresh tarragon leaves
About 1 teaspoon minced tarragon leaves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons finely minced shallot
1 stalk celery minced
Salt and pepper to taste

When you're done cooking the shrimp, you will need a medium bowl filled with ice water at hand, so you should get this ready in advance, being prepared to add more ice if you have to when the shrimp is done.

To make the dressing, whisk the mayonnaise, shallot, celery, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, minced parsley, minced tarragon in a medium bowl. If you make this in advance, cover the bowl and refrigerate it.

Fill a medium saucepan with 2 cups cold water and add the shrimp, 1/4 cup lemon juice, reserved lemon quarters, parsley sprigs, tarragon sprigs, whole peppercorns, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook the shrimp over medium heat, stirring often, until shrimp is no longer translucent. The water should be just bubbling around the edge of the pan; you DO NOT want a rolling boil. This usually takes me about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Drain the shrimp into a colander and transfer the shrimp to the ice water leaving the lemon halves, herbs, and spices behind. Chill for about 3 minutes. This should be long enough for them to be thoroughly chilled. Remove the shrimp from the water and pat dry.

Cut each shrimp in half lengthwise and then each half into half again. Add shrimp to the dressing and combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

There are lots of good books on making your own ice cream, but I recommend three as essential. The first two books are Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home and Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream Desserts, both by Jeni Britton Bauer. 

Jeni Britton Bauer developed her technique for making ice cream using cream cheese as the stabilizer, which is uniquely practical for the home cook. 

The third book is Hello, My Name is Ice Cream by Dana Cree. This book explains the science of ice cream in basic understandable language. It is endlessly usable, thorough, and interesting.  

Container I Chill Ice Cream Base In

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
Adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home and Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream Desserts by Jeni Britton Bauer

Makes 1 quart

Chocolate Base

75g cocoa powder (I use Guittard Rouge Cocoa Powder)

2/3 cup strong brewed coffee

100g sugar (I use Domino Golden Sugar)

2 ounces chopped chocolate (I use Guittard 70% chocolate)

Mix the cocoa, coffee, and sugar in a small saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat, and boil for 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chopped chocolate, let stand for 5 minutes so the chocolate can melt, and stir.

Sweet Cream Base Specifically for Chocolate Ice Cream

600g whole milk

336g heavy cream

132g granulated sugar (I use Domino Golden Sugar)

3 tablespoons Lyle's Golden Syrup 

14g Bob's Red Mill Tapioca Flour (what I use) or cornstarch

56g cream cheese

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Weigh the tapioca flour or cornstarch into a tiny bowl - the kind you use when prepping and doing a mise en place. 

Weigh out the 56 grams of cream cheese onto a small flat plate and add the 1/8 teaspoon of fine sea salt and press it into the cream cheese with the times of a fork. You are going to add the chocolate base to this in a while, so for now put it into a container you will later be able to add heated milk to. If you have an immersion blender, it will work well here. I have a container that came with my immersion blender so that's what I put it in.

Measure the Lyle's Golden Syrup into a small glass - I use a 5-ounce measuring glass. If you like, you can heat this a little in the microwave (for about 30 seconds) so it's easier to pour. 

Put the milk into the pan you are using on the stove, then take a small amount of that milk and put it into the little prep bowl holding the tapioca starch or cornstarch and whisk it well, eliminating any lumps. I have a tiny whisk I use for this. Set this aside. 

Add the heavy cream to the pan with the milk, then add the sugar and the Lyle's, stir, and bring to a low boil. Boil this mixture for 4 minutes, stirring the whole time. Turn off the heat and stir the mixture in the pan well, then stir the tapioca starch/milk mixture (or cornstarch/milk mixture) you have set aside to make sure it's still smooth, and add it to the pan on the stove. Stirring constantly, bring it back to a boil, and boil for ONE MINUTE, NO MORE. Push the pan off the heat. 

You now want to mix the chocolate base with the cream cheese you have already put in a container. An immersion blender does this well. Otherwise, stir it to combine well. 

Add this mixture into the pan with the sweet cream base and stir to thoroughly mix the chocolate in. Strain this mixture through a sieve. I strain it through a rounded sieve into an 8-cup Pyrex measuring cup, which holds it all and is easy to pour from. I pour the already strained mixture through another conical sieve into a tallish glass container with a lid and chill in an ice bath. For the ice bath I use a deep stainless steel bowl. I put the container with the mixture in it into the bowl, add enough cold water to the bowl to cover the mixture (without letting it get into the mixture), and use reusable ice packs to chill it, which are easier to use than ice cubes. Once it has cooled down enough, I put it in the refrigerator, and keep it there long enough for it to get very cold. I usually leave it overnight to cure it.

When it is cold, spin the mixture in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. I pack it into two pint cardboard ice cream containers and place in the freezer. (I cut a small circle of parchment to sit on top before I put the top of the container on. I keep 6-inch parchment circles on hand to use for this.) 

It's best if it sits in the freezer for 8 hours before eating so leaving it in the refrigerator overnight to cure and spinning it in the morning is great so it's ready in time for dessert after dinner.

Ruth Rogers’ Simple Tomato Sauce

In Top Foodies Choose Their Favorite Recipes of All Time (The Guardian 29 January 2006), Ruth Rogers chose this as hers. She is the founding chef of London’s River Café and has an interesting podcast called Ruthie's Table 4. She said this is what she most often makes when guests come to her home for dinner.

The special taste of the sauce depends largely on the way the garlic is handled. It must be sliced very thinly, sautéed only until it becomes just faintly colored and then allowed to simmer slowly in the tomato so that it can release all its sweetness. Raw basil at the end contributes a fragrant fillip. Make sure the basil does not undergo any cooking.  Marcella Hazan

Italian Tomatoes from Gustiamo

Ruth Roger's Simple Tomato Sauce

Adapted by Ruth Rogers from Marcella’s Italian Kitchen by Marcella Hazan

For ½ to 1 pound of pasta 

 

Marcella suggests spaghetti, spaghettini, fusilli, penne, rigatoni, or ziti.

 

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and sliced very thinly

400g (14 ounces) tinned Italian peeled plum tomatoes, cut into large pieces, with their juice (It’s always best if you use tomatoes from Italy.)

Salt to taste 

Black pepper 

10 fresh basil leaves, torn by hand into small pieces

(I don’t use any grated cheese with this sauce, but, of course, you can.)

 

Put the oil and garlic in a saucepan and turn the heat to medium. When the garlic becomes colored a pale gold, add the tomatoes and turn the heat down to very low. Cook, uncovered, until the oil floats free of the tomatoes - about 20 minutes. 

 

Add salt and grindings of pepper and cook for another two to three minutes, stirring from time to time. 

 

Off the heat, stir in the torn basil leaves. Serve on your choice of pasta.

Soft Boiled Eggs

After trying many recipes and different methods for soft-boiled eggs, this is the one I like best. Calling them soft-boiled is really a misnomer as they are not boiled at all, but steamed.

I got a subscription to Cook's Illustrated magazine with its first issue, and now I'm a digital subscriber to its progeny, America's Test Kitchen. I use it for the thoroughly-tested recipes and in-depth equipment reviews.

My preferred way of eating soft-boiled eggs is the way I ate them at my grandfather's house in England - in an egg cup with toast soldiers, pieces of toast buttered and cut into strips to dip into the soft yolks. I put a little mound of salt and pepper on my plate to dip my spoon in between mouthfuls. I use an egg topper to take the top off. If you don't have an egg topper, you can tap all over the top of the egg with a knife and then use the knife to cut the top off. However, if you want to eat the egg smashed onto a piece of buttered toast, you can crack the just-cooked egg in the middle on a plate, split it in half, and scoop it right onto the toast with a spoon.

I store my eggs in the refrigerator in the carton they came in. For this recipe, use large eggs that are straight from the refrigerator and still cold. Make sure they have no cracks. I don't prick a hole in the egg, and I always wash eggs before I use them as I usually have local eggs from a farm, and it's a habit I have gotten into.

I have found this recipe and the timing works for me. I usually make 1 egg at a time for myself, but this recipe works just as well for up to 4.

Soft-Boiled Eggs
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

From 1 to 4 large eggs

Put an inch of water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Carefully put the egg or eggs into the saucepan, and cover. Reduce the heat a little, and cook for exactly 7 minutes. I use a digital timer to ensure I have the time right. Seven minutes is what works for me. If you find the egg is cooked a little more than you like, reduce the time a little to see what works for you.

When the time is up, remove the cover, put the pan in the sink, and run cold water into it for 30 seconds to stop the egg from cooking. Remove the egg or eggs from the pan and eat whichever way you prefer. 

Egg Toppers

Fresh Ricotta

Salvatore Ricotta

The best ricotta I ever had was from Salvatore Brooklyn. I once went to a Williams-Sonoma store in NYC to see a demonstration by Betsy Devine of how she makes it at Salvatore, and that was when I decided I would be able to make my own. You can see the thick texture, which is what I was - and am - aiming for.

The recipe I use is adapted from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt's recipe in his seminal work, The Food Lab, but there are other good recipes for you to check out - FOOD52 and Smitten Kitchen, who also likes Salvatore. If you don't have or use a microwave, Jennifer Perillo's recipe on FOOD52 is the way to go. It is the first recipe I tried so I know it works!

I often use 3 cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream unless I want to make it extremely rich in which case I use 2 cups whole milk and 2 cups heavy cream.

I put my 4 cups of dairy in a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup. I add 1/2 teaspoon salt, either kosher or Italian fine sea salt, and 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar. Kenji says you can add the same amount of lemon juice; however, since the white vinegar is consistently 5 per cent acid, I find it unfailingly reliable so that is what I use.

I heat the milk and cream mixture in the microwave until the temperature reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. In my microwave, which is small, this takes about 8 minutes. 

At this point, I remove the cup from the microwave and stir it gently for about 5 seconds. It is already separating into curds and whey.

I transfer to a fine sieve that I have lined with a white mesh vegetable bag. It can certainly be lined with cheesecloth.

I cover the top with plastic wrap and let it reach the desired consistency. The more it drains, the "dryer" it will be. 

My Ricotta

You can see the texture. It's almost like ice cream. Since I am usually using this to make manicotti, it gets thinner with the addition of eggs so this is a perfect texture for me to start with.

Homemade Ricotta

Adapted from The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

I use a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup for this.

To 3 cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream or 2 cups whole milk and 2 cups heavy cream if you want it to be very rich, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, kosher or (for me Italian) sea salt and 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar.

I heat the milk and cream mixture in the microwave until the temperature reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. In my microwave, which is small, this takes about 8 minutes. You can certainly do this on top of the stove. 

At this point, stir it gently for about 5 seconds. It should already be separating into curds and whey.

Transfer to a fine sieve lined with a white mesh vegetable bag or cheesecloth.

Cover the top with plastic wrap and let it reach the desired consistency. The more it drains, the "dryer" it will be.

Vic's Chicken

 

This is something I have basically been making since I was twenty years old, and my grandmother made it long before that. Since it goes with so many side or starter dishes, I often make it for company. We usually eat this once a week. 

Do not substitute chicken breast halves here because the white meat does not take well to this method. 

I usually cook the chicken in a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet depending on the number of pieces of chicken I am cooking. 

If you have time, salt the chicken pieces all over, put them on a rack on a platter, and refrigerate for a few hours. This is dry brining and will help the chicken to crisp. However, more often than not I skip this step because I haven't planned it long enough in advance, and it's still great.

Vic's Chicken

Please read the whole recipe through before you start as steps are taken to avoid contamination of any bacteria that may be on the raw chicken.

Best-quality-you-can-get bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or whole chicken legs, as many as you like.  (My preferred chicken is Bell & Evans, and I drive a long way to get it.)

Vegetable oil (I usually use expeller-pressed grapeseed.)

Salt

Pepper - be generous

Garlic powder

Whatever dried herb you like with chicken (I use GREEK oregano from Kalustyans.)

Preheat the oven to 400°F. If you have a roast setting, use it now.

Have the pan you are going to roast the chicken in on the counter or on the stove. Slick a tiny amount of oil in the pan and wipe any excess out with a paper towel. 

Also put a plate or platter large enough to hold the uncooked pieces of raw chicken on the counter next to the sink. 

Then put a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of your sink,  covering the whole bottom. Put the chicken pieces in the sink on top of the foil, and pour a little oil on the chicken followed by salt, pepper, garlic powder, and whatever dried herbs you like with chicken. (Note that if you have salted the chicken in advance, don't use any more salt.) Now rub the chicken pieces all over with your hands to distribute the oil and herbs. 

Place the chicken pieces on the plate or platter you have put next to the sink. Then move them from the platter into the pan you will cook them in. 

Right now, to avoid contamination with any bacteria from the chicken, throw the aluminum foil away, wash the sink, and wash your hands before you touch anything else.

Put the pan in the oven and roast until the pieces of chicken are very, very crisp – 45 minutes to an hour. I usually cook them for an hour because the result I want is extremely crisp, well-done chicken. I baste the chicken occasionally while it is cooking, but I do not turn the pieces over. 

Really Good Ragu

I have been making Marcella Hazan's iconic Bolognese sauce for years, and it is, I believe, authentic. I have even used it to stuff inside my grandmother's crespelle, turning it into canneloni. But as delicious as it is, it is not very saucy, and sometimes something saucy with an umami depth of flavor is exactly what I'm looking for. And that ragu is what I found in The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater. (If you haven't discovered Nigel Slater yet, I think Appetite would be a good place to start.) 

Because I want this to be saucy, I have increased the amount of tomatoes, originally 1 cup to a 400g can of Italian tomatoes, and decreased the amount of meat, from 1 pound to 1/2 pound. I order pancetta from Heritage Foods, and use the recommended 3 ounces for this recipe. 

I have been led to believe no self-respecting Italian would even think about serving Bolognese sauce over spaghetti. But English people do, Nigel Slater does, and now sometimes so do I. But this sauce is especially good on rigatoni - or maybe even better mezzi rigatoni - because it snuggles inside the tubes.

And PLEASE find a source for Italian tomatoes and Italian pasta that is cut with bronze die and slow dried, such as Pasta Setaro or Faella. The difference is noticeable.  

I order these from Gustiamo

I often serve this on a plate with a vegetable instead of a salad.

I highly recommend cracking open a bottle of particularly delicious red wine to use here. It contributes that depth of flavor I mentioned above to the sauce and is lovely to drink with this dinner.

A half bottle of Amarone

Really Good Ragu

Adapted from The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater and FOOD52

In Italy pasta is sauced very lightly so this would be enough for 1 pound of pasta there; I use it for 8 ounces. I love pork, but I always use beef in this recipe.

4 tablespoons butter
About 3 ounces pancetta cut in 1/4" cubes
1 small to medium onion, chopped
2 plump cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, peeled and chopped
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped the same size as the onions, carrot, and celery 
1 bay leaf (I use Morton & Bassett)
1/2 pound ground beef  - the best you can get
1 400g can of  Italian whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
1/4 cup red wine (good enough that you will drink it with dinner)
3/4 cup stock (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base to make it.)
Freshly grated nutmeg - a little
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream (Use a light hand.)
Freshly grated Parmesan, to taste

Don't leave out the bay leaf or the nutmeg; they add a lot to the sauce. Remember to be parsimonious with the cream; you don't want the sauce to be creamy.

Melt the butter then cook the pancetta without letting it color to render some of the fat - 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the onion and garlic; then the carrot and the celery; then the mushrooms. Cook over medium heat, stirring often.

Turn up the heat a little and add the meat, breaking it up. Cook for about 3 minutes without stirring so the meat starts to brown. Stir again. Add the tomatoes, red wine, stock, the bay leaf, a grating of nutmeg, and a little salt and pepper. 

Turn the heat down till the sauce is gently moving. Partially cover the pan. Let it cook for about an hour, stirring occasionally, checking the liquid to make sure it does not dry out.

Pour in the heavy cream slowly and with a light hand. Stir. Let it cook a little longer - for 15 to 20 minutes, keeping in mind you do not want it to get thick.

Taste for seasoning.

I usually serve this over rigatoni or mezzi rigatoni (but sometimes I use spaghetti) with grated Parmesan but use whatever pasta shape you like.