A Spin On Cassoulet

One of the most comforting of all foods is the French winter classic cassoulet. I'ts a hearty but sometimes labor intensive stew that is a melange of meats and beans. It can be tiring to create however there's a new spin to make the dish easier.

David Clark realizes this and gave it his twist in yesterday's New York Times Food section. His column, A City Kitchen has this new recipe along with a first course and a neat dessert. It is the duck that stands out , though. He slow roasts duck , serving it with mashed white beans sizzled herbs and olives. It's more of an Italianate spin than French. There is rosemary which the original recipe does not have along with green and black olives. As for the duck, Mr. Tanis suggests using only the legs and recommends the Moulard breed, a plumper hybrid of the every day duck. The legs are topped with peppery arugula leaves dressed with lemon and salt. To change it up a bit sub in broccoli rabe. Instead of putting everything into a cassoulet pot or Dutch oven, use a sheet pan for the legs to achieve a nice, crispy skin and tender moist flesh, similar to confit. The beans are still cooked with onions as in the original recipe along with cloves and garlic. They're then mashed with some of the bean liquid and resemble mashed potatoes. (A potato masher is used for this). You could even serve these with roasted chicken too.

As for the first course, Mr. Tanis decides on seafood, namely clams.They're simply steamed and then served with a garlic parsley butter and lime for zing. The butter is actually used for escargots  - snails - but work perfectly with  the clams. It's a mix of unsalted butter, freshly chopped parsley and garlic. The blend is then melted and cooked with lime zest and lime juice. The clams themselves, little necks, are cooked with leeks and white wine.Another alternative is raw oysters on a half shell. As for the dessert, Mr. Tanis goes somewhat light with ricotta paired with a  rhubarb , ginger and cardamon sauce.It's a spin on the Mediterranean treat of the cheese drizzled with fresh honey. Ginger and cardamon  pods are cooked with sugar and water to form a spiced syrup. About a pound of rhubarb is used for this. If you're wondering where to get it so early in the season, check Wal-Mart or Whole Foods. The mix is served on a wedge of ricotta and decorated with pine nuts or pistachios. As for what wine to serve with the whole dinner, try any of the reds such as Tuscany's Chianti Classico or Brunello de Montalcino.

If you're craving cassoulet but don't want the hard work, consider this recipe with or without the first course and dessert. It's an easier way of enjoying duck and beans . This is a simple cook with a deliciously complex flavor.

A Cool Rice Salad For Hot Days

It is hard to come up with dinner ideas when the temps reach the 90's and 100's. What is easy to cook and easy to eat? The answer came in today's New York Times Food section. David Tanis' rice salad! Of course .It's a snap to make and a delicious way to beat the heat.

Mr. Tanis' recipe calls for arborio rice mixed with a tahini based dressing. His is crunchy and herby, thanks to the inclusion of currents, pistachios and almonds mixed with mint and chives. I veered off.
First the rice. Arborio does take a longer time to cook. Instant rice is easier. I used Stop & Shop's brand.

I cooked  three cups of it because anything with rice goes quick in my house.

Then I added the veggies,grape tomatoes and one orange pepper.

They were diced into bite size pieces.

I bought already cut celery and broccoli from Stop & Shop's salad bar. I included black

olives into the mix for a Mediterranean vibe.

As for the dressing olive oil and I went for a red wine vinegar instead of my usual apple cider one. Again it gives it a nice dinner in Capri feel.

A sprinkle of sea salt and a quick grind of pepper, mix and you have a salad that takes you through steamy days and nights. As Mr. Tanis suggests you can toss in some chopped hard boiled eggs.Add tuna for a Roman flavor. I'd suggest putting in some chopped roasted chicken to make it more filling.

Thank you David Tanis of A City Kitchen for inspiring

me to create my own rice salad recipe. This is another summer go to recipe that I'll be using in the dog days ahead. It's easy to make and so cool to eat.

Fish And Couscous

What do you do about midweek cooking. It doesn;t have the exciting ring of weekend dinner parties with friends.There's none of the breezy casualness of a Friday take out or quick bake pizza. The answer is liven it up by one classic yet literally eye opening recipe and a traditional one with an ingredient popular in another country.

Thank Melissa Clark and David Tanis for their takes on fish and couscous respectively in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Ms/ Clark goes old school with cooking red snapper with its' head intact. This may cause some squeamishness in some, yet it is popular in European and Asian cooking.  Her column, A Good Appetite is an argument about using the entire body because it leads to a more flavorful meal. It also makes it impossible to overcook it  along with drying out the meat. Many home chefs find it difficult to cut . Ms. Clark suggests diners go at the fish from one side, namely the belly. All that will be left are the head , spine and tail ,looking like a cartoon cat devoured it.. Also to make it more desirable is the glaze. It's combining three citrus fruits, lemon, lime, and orange with tamari  and butter  The fruit is placed inside the fish cavity, infusing it with a tropical , tart flavor and more lime juice is added for the sauce. Ms. Clark suggests serving it with cilantro sprigs but you can try any green as a light salad on the side.

If you would rather go the vegetarian route,then the recipe from David Tanis' A City Kitchen. His is a take on the classic Middle Eastern dish, updating it with feta. It's the perfect meal for a cold day. Pearl couscous,more  similar to pasta than semolina, is cooked with the always fun grape  tomatoes and chickpeas. The last gives this vegan dish a boost of protein while the tomatoes add color and flavor. The addition of balsamic vinegar , garlic and scallions give the tomatoes a savory and sweet taste. Updating it with feta gives the dish a creaminess and tang.The last depends on what kind you buy. The Greek tends to be the saltiest and most intense in flavor.. If you want to go milder, Mr , Tanis suggests trying feta from France or Bulgaria. Taste it first , before you add it to the pan. If' its' too salty then just give it a quick rinse to rid it of the salinity. There's also cumin and lemon zest for more of a Middle Eastern vibe. It can be topped with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar along with more herbs and a dusting of Parmesan cheese.

Whatever one you choose, they're great for livening up a weekday meal. Try a glazed snapper for a warm sunny flavor. For a warm cozy  and exotic dish, whip up a bowl of vegan couscous. Both add zing to meal time.

Summer Seafood

One of the joys of the summer season is the abundance of seafood. There's nothing like grilled scallops or a chowder made with clams and fresh vegetables. Take advantage of the sea's abundance.

Most home chefs  love working with shrimp and scallops. There's very little work, save for the shrimp deveining and they're versatile for both cooking on the grill and on the stovetop. David Tanis  had  a recipe for Thai curried shrimp in his A City Kitchen column in Wednesday's New York Times.They are marinated in a fiery rub of cumin and  coriander to spike it along with turmeric, garlic and grated ginger for ten minutes. The shrimp are then added to a sauce of coconut milk and curry leaves. That sound good but how amazing would they be if they were grilled and served on fire toasted naan? Cajun shrimp is another barbecue treat.Marinate them in a blend of olive oil, honey, paprika, sand soy sauce. Herbs such as thyme, oregano and parsley add to the complexity while cayenne pepper gives it a sharp bite. Scallops can also be grilled. Again, like shrimp , they're amenable to a variety of different spices and herbs.Unlike shrimp, they have a sweet,briny flavor that can be  enhanced with just a squeeze of lemon and lime. Think of brushing them with a lemon butter before tossing on the grill. You can even alternate them with shrimp on skewers too.

Clam, too,are big during the warmer months.Of  course there is both Manhattan and New England clam chowder. Nothing beat the Manhattan, especially if it's made with the harvests of the season. Fresh picked tomatoes are perfect for this thick soup. Celery , onions and potatoes give it its' heartiness. Make sure that it's rich with thyme, which give the chowder its' distinctive taste. You can also make the  denser New England style (although it's better during the wintry months).It's a creamy blend of clams  and potatoes, flavored with celery and onions. Whole cream is added for that thick potage mouth feel. Another summer  shellfish to enjoy  is  crab. This is the time to go crabbing in many states, especially New Jersey. It can be grilled  and served with melted butter. Just remember to pull off the tough , outer shell and clean out the insides. This will make for better tasting meat. If you have many of them , think about a crab roll sandwich which is a take on the classic lobster roll one. Mix the cooled crab meat with mayonnaise and chopped scallions. You can add a squeeze of lemon to cu the intense flavor if wanted. Pile on a hot dog bun and serve with a side. potato chips.

Summer is here and with it comes an abundance of seafood. Enjoy the ocean's harvest, whether grilled, or turned into soups and salads. They''ll make  warm weather eating that much more delicious. delicious.

Flavor From The Garden

It's amazing what the garden - or even farmer's market - can yield up. There's a world of flavor, and not necessarily from the usual veggies and herbs.Look to the allium family and  herb flowers to zing up a late Spring meal

That was the theme of both Melissa Clark and David Tanis 's columns in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Ms. Clark's  A Good Appetite featured leeks and Spring onions in a gratin. Green garlic and scallions also add bite to this anchovy spiked bread crumbs, butter and cheese dish  She gives advice about what to look for in spring onions, taut skins, If the outer layer is brittle , that means the onions are on their way to being mature  - what we see in the stores. Spring leeks are tasty - try them on toast or in soups yet a pain to prepare. They are loaded in dirt - thanks to farmers leaving them in the ground over the winter and piling more soil on them. The leeks are harvested in the the Spring when they 're sweetly flavored. They should be halved before washing and thoroughly washed, especially to remove any dirt clumps.

David Tanis tries another garden sprig in his A City Kitchen column.  He gives us the recipe for herb flower butter. It sounds delicate and lovely yet it packs quite a punch . An herb blossom tastes much like the herb itself. His recipe includes thyme blossoms along with the bright yellow mustard flowers.These can be found in any field along with chive blossoms, clusters of pale violet hued spheres that may look dainty but have the taste of sharp, raw onion. For more oomph, add both Djon and whole grain French mustard. There's also chopped dill and thyme added to unsalted butter. He smears it on sauteed flounder fillets but it can also be added to hot egg noodles for a lovely side with chicken or added to zucchini or scrambled eggs. Another suggestion is spreading it on garden party cucumber sandwiches too. Add borage and geranium leaves to butter balls for a festive dinner party treat.

Look to the backyard and fields for inspiration and flavor. Try a trio of Spring alliums for flavor or pretty herbal flowers for color. Either way it's a nice way to change up everyday ingredients.

Eggs And Fish

As Lent progresses, it's hard to cope up wth meatless dishes to feed the family. By now they're probably sick of  pizza and pasta and cringe at the idea of another plate of steamed veggies, The solution is easy . Turn to eggs and fish .Both are filling alternatives for meatless dinners.

The idea comes from yesterday's New York Times Food section. Melissa Clark gives us an egg dish  more exotic version of hard boiled eggs while David Tanis takes on monkfish. Ms. Clark's  column, A Good Appetite focuses on ande ki kari, a recipe taken from Julie Sahni's 1980's cookbook, Classic Indian Cooking. It is hard boiled eggs with a spicy tomato sauce. It is simple enough to make. Hard boiled eggs are swimming in a sauce of contrasts,sweet and spicy , earthy and pungent. It's grated (yes, grated ) tomatoes mixed with onions sauteed in vegetable ghee, a solid vegetable shortening. Butter or olive oil can be used instead. Garlic, ginger, and cumin seeds are also added. The puree also has coriander, cumin and pepper flakes as well as black pepper for zing and pop..It should be cooked until it thickens and the fat starts to separate.In the meantime, cut eggs in half lenghtwise. At this point turn the heat on again add garam masala and the eggs. Serve with naan bread or over rice with yogurt.

Another meatless idea is monkfish. David Tanis gives an interesting spin on it in his A City Kitchen column. The fish is sometimes known as the "poor man's lobster" because of its' look and taste. The meat is a creamy white and very firmly fleshed. Any home chef can fool the family with it by passing it off as the expensive crustacean.The French call it "gigot de mer" leg of lamb from the sea. The tail is the most desirable part of it and it 's about the size of a pork roast , according to Mr. Tanis. He uses a restaurant chef;'s technique of wrapping the tail in butcher's twine, making it compact for cooking. He suggests rubbing it in extra virgin olive oil and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. For a southern Mediterranean vibe  lay the tail on a bed of thyme and rosemary branches. Tuck lemon slices and olives around it. The meat can be smeared with an easy to make olive paste. Mr Tanis puts pitted black olives, garlic, and quarter of a cup of olive oil into a food processor in a food processor and grind to a rough paste.This last can be also good on its own , slathered on crusty Italian or French bread.

Try these recipes for a different spin on a meatless Friday - or any day. They're exciting and fun for even a dinner party on a Saturday night. Meat won't be missed.Honest.

A Few Simple Tweaks

Vegetables are good . They are  chock full of nutrition and low in calories, yet many people avoid them. They complain that the flavor is too bland or they're not prepared in an appetizing way. The solution? Add a few tweaks here and there.

That's basically what Dave Tanis did and wrote about in today's New York Times Food section. His A City Kitchen Column is devoted to making those tough to swallow veggies zesty and fun.Think dirt candy. He targets cauliflower and broccoli, Cauliflower is a versatile veggie. The hot trend right now is ricing it, which makes it exciting to eat.It's also delicious as a soup and heavenly  breaded and fried. Mr. Tanis has many suggestions,  a few of the celebrating Sicily' love of it. The Sicilians bake it  under a topping of soft sheep's milk cheese and olives.Mr. Tanis perks it up with a dash of anchovy, garlic and hot pepper. Mozzarella and pecorino cheese  stands in for the original choice. He also subs in romanesco broccoli, a bright chartreuse spiky kind of cauliflower, but the recipe can be used for any kind of cauliflower. He also gives a pan roasted recipe that has the florets roasted with such herbs as parsley and rosemary, zested up with garlic and red pepper flakes. It's easy to create and would be great accompanying any roast. Mr. Tanis suggest serving it  with a lemon wedge.

Broccoli also gets some spiking up too.It is good on it's own or with a squirt of lemon or melted butter or margarine.As he states, the fresher it is, the better the taste.He also recommends getting the organic kind, right now coming in from California.Look for the smaller and multi-stemmed ones. The
way the stalks are cut can also influence the taste. Don't chop large,puffy florets. These will end up overcooked. Aim for longer, thinner spears. Mr. Tanis usually butter steams  which is essentially simmering them in a butter water bath. This will yield firm but tender stalks. .It is a great way to cook them because the broccoli soaks up all that savory cooking liquid in just five minutes.It can be jazzed up even more with a hearty sprinkling of toasted bread crumbs that have been spiked with red pepper
flakes. . It's topped off with shaved Parmesan cheese. Mr Tanis suggests interchanging these recipes between the broccoli, cauliflower and its' fancier cousin the romanesco broccoli.

Cauliflower and broccoli are good on their own but sometimes need some spiking up. Try them these ways, jazzed up with bread crumbs or oven roasted for a new spin. This will liven up the ordinary, turning them into something extraordinary.

Oyster Pie : A British Classic Updated

November is the time of hearty dinners that stick to your ribs. Savory pies fit into that category and one interesting one involves oysters. It's a British staple, not unlike the famed stargazey pie of Cornwall.The dish is a nice alternative to  traditional meat pies yet still homey and filling.

David Tanis decided to try his hand at it and wrote about it in his A City Kitchen column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. His is a take on the classic English fish pie. This is an easy cook.It's basically repurposing left over fish as filling or briefly poaching fresh fish chunks in milk. This is the base for the pie's gravy that gives it a briny creaminess. British home cooks also use prawns and other shellfish.These can be seen as a little too posh for some home chefs. Oysters are a good choice. Mr. Tanis thought he could give it a Southern spin with moistening the shucked shellfish in milk or cream and the baked with a crust of crushed Saltine crumbs. Another influence was Yankee oyster stew.This is flavored with bacon and onions.He also thought of making an oyster chowder, still with spuds but with the addition of leeks.In the end, he made a pie with all these influences. It became richer with creme fraiche,,along with the leeks and bacon. Thyme was also thrown into the mix for a nice herbal taste.The recipe is simpler than what's on the Internet. Those recipes are laden with too many veggies and spices or made with prebaked pie shells which can get soggy ith the sauce while baking.

For home chefs attempting the dish remember to get shucked oysters. These can be bought by the pint at your local fishmonger's or grocery store. Mr. Tannis suggests three t four oysters per person so figure twelve to fifteen to suit a family or small dinner party.Home chefs can shuck the oysters or have ti done at the store. Also, fresh oysters can be kept a week in the fridge however their fresh taste elevates the pie. It is a dish of all sorts of flavors, from  farm to  sea..It's  heavily dairy with creme fraiche and heavy cream  being the basis of the sauce. Leeks contribute  a sweet flavor that is a nice for the shellfish' brininess  Along with the thyme, Mr. Tanis add a dash of cayenne pepper along with whole grain French mustard. The crust is a combination of crispy and hearty. The first layer is mounds of buttery mashed Yukon Golds.smoothed over the oyster mixture. Now for the crunch, taken from those Southern oyster dishes, , He sprinkles bread crumbd and Parmesan over the mash , along with dots of butter. Parsley is the finishing touch , sprinkled on for color. it bakes for forty minutes in a hot 375 degree Farenheit oven. Serve it with a green salad for a perfect dinner.

An oyster pie is a nice hearty meal ,perfect for a chill November night. It's a blend of creaminess and brininess, mixing farm and sea perfectly. Make one and enjoy the marriage of tastes and textures.

The Spice Of Your Life

Spices are what make a kitchen interesting and meals delicious. They can be as simple as just dried oregano or as complex as za'atar. Whatever they are, they are fun to use and can jazz up any recipe. They can  add zest and excitement, making meal time unique and different from the everyday..

Surprisingly enough spices can also cause fear in many home chefs.They feel that using just a pinch of any one can be too much. The result is a bland dish that usually makes family and guests reach for the salt and pepper shakers. If any home chefs have qualms don't. Start off with the less "scary" ones. such as garlic or onion powder. The first is great for subbing in chopped or minced garlic. A small pinch can do a lot for home made tomato sauces and to liven up cream cheese. Onion powder can be used for the real thing. It gives some sweetness to guacamole along with some chilis and sauces. Oregano and rosemary are the backbones of Italian cooking. They give sauces, from pizza to pasta ones body and complex layers. They also work well as dry rubs for chicken, steaks and fish.Cinnamon, so often used for desserts and cappuccinos, can also be used for savory dishes too. Try it in a lamb tagine or sprinkled on roasted butternut squash.It can also be used in a classic Bolognese sauce for depth.Nutmeg and mace, closely related spices, are great in fall dishes such as squash soups and Indian inspired shrimp kabobs.

Once home chefs have mastered cooking with simple spices they can move onto more complex blends. One blend was highlighted in Wednesday's New York Times' A City Kitchen column, David Tanis used Lebanese spices, a mix called baharat, the Arab word for spice. This is a seven spice blend consisting of one tablespoon each of black pepper,allspice, coriander,cumin, cloves,  cinnamon and grated nutmeg.Mr. Tanis rubs it on both sides of a butterflied leg of lamb.They are massaged along with olive oil into the meat. The spice offers a warm sweetness that also works in tabbouleh and grilled kofta,lamb meatballs.Zing up chicken kebobs with it too. Once baharat is mastered it's time to move on to za'atar. The Israeli spice combo is a hot trend right now and pretty easy to make. It is fresh oregano mixed with cumin and sesame seeds. Fresh ground pepper and Kosher salt is used along with sumac. Some may freak out at the last. but this is the non poisonous kind found primarily in the Middle East.It can be bought at some grocery stores , online at spice sellers or on Amazon.One of the best ways to enjoy it is with bagels.,the true Israeli kind that are more ropy than plump.It's also good rubbed on chicken before roasting or even chicken and lamb kabobs.

Spices are not only the variety of life but also the extra oomph dishes need. They can be as simple as just a pinch of oregano or as complex as a teaspoon of baharat or za'atar. Add them to any recipe for some zest and zing!

Tomato Time

This is the time for tomatoes. They're everywhere, from big bushel baskets at the farmer's market to hanging in clusters off backyard plants. What is great about the tomato is that it's so versatile. It's amazing what home chefs can do with them, especially with anchovies. Surprisingly it's a great marriage of opposites..

David Tanis knows this and featured the fruit in his A City Kitchen column in yesterday's New York Times Food section.He gives us three tasty recipes home chefs can play with during the height of the tomato season.What is unusual about them is that they all contain anchovies. The fish's saltiness and meatiness   gives the dishes a unami flavor that pairs well with the tomatoes' sweetness.  He recommends going for the best. They'll obviously cost more but so worth it. Look for the oil packed kind from Spain, southern France or Italy.Most Italian delis sell salt packed versions that still have all their bones These require extra work that will require rinsing and deboning. Don't worry about this last. Filleting them is easy. Using them pays off. Theye have a greater texture and tend to be milder than the ones packed in oil. Mr. Tanis does offer a tip about the packed ones - briefly rinse them in lukewarm water, followed by blotting them on paper towels.Don't go for the paste. Save that for brushing on grilled steaks.To add to the flavor , quickly the tomatoes them to give them a smokiness

The three recipes offered are easy along with being flavorful.The first is charred tomatoes with eggs, anchovies and bread crumbs. Alternate charred tomato slices and hard boiled eggs on platter Drape the anchovy fillets over the eggs and then add a Dijon mustard infused vinaigrette. Freshly ground bread crumbs are them sprinkled over the entire dish, sort of like a cold version of tomatoes Provencale. The next dish is kind of a cross between pizza and pissaladiere. It is an olive oil based pastry crust dotted with tomatoes and mozzarella. Top with the fillets along with capers and olives if you want. Mr. Tanis also recommends adding  rosemary and hot pepper too.One of the easiest and best to make during these sweltering days is pasta fredda. The sauce is a cold one, prepared hours in advance.It's a blend of chopped red onion and cherry tomatoes, anchovies, garlic and pepper with olive oil and vinegar as the base. Keep in the fridge for three hours. Use spaghetti or linguine for the pasta and cook according to directions. Add the cherry tomato sauce along with extra olive oil and basil.

This is the height of the tomato season right now. Pair them with anchovies for a flavorful marriage that works well. It's a great union of salty and sweet.

Small Bites For A Summer's Night

Big meals seem superfluous in summer. No one wants to really eat when the temps hit the nineties which is why bite sized foods seems perfect. It's time to try the Eastern Mediterranean tradition of mezze. It's a light, tasty way to eat and enjoy the flavors of the season.

David Tanis covered this in his column A City Kitchen in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Mezze is basically a  selection of small plates, similar to tapas.It's a standard in Greece, Turkey and Lebanon where its' big in restaurants but even bigger at homes around the regions. Families gather around their Sunday tables that are laden with small but filled plates along with glasses of  Greek ouzo, Turkish  raki or Lebanese arak. The ingredients represent the regions. Grape leaves and cucumbers are used often. Eggplant is a big staple , especially in the Middle East mezze or mezedhess. Mostly it's served as a Turkish style dip with pita. Zucchini figures large too and it's prepared a variety of different ways.Most of the ingredients can be bought at any farmer's market or even the family garden. Mr. Tanis also recommends going to your local Middle Eastern grocery , not only to pick up the veggies but also buy pita and olives as well as dates and phyllo based desserts. More unusual ingredients such as sumac, pomegranate molasses and Marras pepper flakes, vital to the recipes, can be bought on line.

These recipes are purely vegetarian. There are meat based meze such as lamb, chicken and pork kababs and kefta ,balls of ground beef. You could make the kebabs on a grill and they would make a nice accompaniment to these recipes, however an all veggie meze is lighter fare, perfect for a hot midsummer night,The recipes are relatively easy and drenched in spices. Try the cucumber with feta , mint and sumac.It's taking two pounds of Persian cucumbers cutting them and dressing them in a savory  mix of garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Feta and sumac are added for creaminess and tang. There is also mashed eggplant with capers, scallions and parsley. It's cubing the eggplant, roasting it and then briefly pulsing it in a food processor. Pomegranate molasses is added along with yogurt for smoothness and cayenne pepper for heat. It can be used as a dip for warm pita bread or spread on rounds of French or Italian bread. There's also zucchini and cherry tomatoes with blanched zucchini strips in a tasty dressing composed of pureed red peppers.They're blended with olive oil, mustard, vinegar, Maras pepper and cayenne.The strips and sliced cherry tomatoes are arranged on a platter and then drizzled with the dressing.It's garnished with oregano, parsley and olives.

It's definitely the time of year for an all veggie mezze. Make the tasty dishes with the harvests of the season, drenched in exotic spices and flavors. Enjoy them on a warm, night , as they would do on a warm, starry night in the Middle East.

Mooning Over Mezzelune

Mezzalune are ravioli's more elegant cousins. These delicate, stuffed pastas are just as delicious as their heartier cousins and are just easy to make.It's a great change of pace from the usual pastas and a chance for home chefs to get creative.

David Tanis knows this and wrote about them in his A City Kitchen column in yesterday's New York Times Food section.Both ravioli and mezzalune are easy to make, especially if casings and fillings are made a few hours ahead. Home chefs don't need a fancy pasta machine to make it (although there are some who swear by the more elaborate machines). Mr. Tanis recommends a simple hand cranked one which is even easier than doing the original way - with a rolling pin.The dough is a basic egg based one, made golden with two large eggs plus two extra yolks. Home chefs could try it with a whole wheat version but the dough's texture  may be too dense,Making the dough ahead of time actually benefits it.Afterwards it should be well wrapped and kept at room temperature.Doing this  helps it to hydrate properly and allows it to be stretched more easily into a silky, tender consistency..Another plus is that once the mezzelune have been assembled they can be refrigerated for up to three hours before cooking.This gives home chefs plenty of time to make a dessert or salad. The pasta can be cooked up in only a few minutes , another boon for a busy home chef.

Mr. Tanis fills his mezzalune with, seasoned ricotta which  is always the base of the stuffed pasta .Nutmeg and lemon zest flavor it, along with blanched chopped spinach for taste and color.Some mezzalune fillings include chopped chicken if home chefs want something a bit heartier.Once the filling is made then its time to concentrate on making the pasta rounds. Use a sharp cookie cutter to punch out three inch rounds. There should be enough for thirty-six ravioli, -figure six servings of six mezzalune each. Dust the rounds with a light coating of semolina and keep covered with a damp towel to prevent drying. Once they 're all cut out then, put a tablespoon of filling on top of each round. Using a pastry brush or even a finger sparingly moisten the edge with water and fold over to create a half moon. The mezzalune will resemble mini  empenadas. Continue until all the rounds have been filled and place them on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment and dusted with more semolina. He uses fresh spring peas and shiitake mushrooms in a butter olive oil blend for the sauce. A more traditional version is a butter and sage sauce. Home chefs can also sub in morels or porcini mushrooms for the shiitake.

Mezzalune are a light,delcate alternative to ravioli, Make them with the produce of the season for a wonderful airy meal on a warm, Spring night, They are a lovely , elegant change of pace.

Dandelion Season

Dandelions are everywhere right now. Many gardeners consider them pests but home chefs consider them a gift. This garden denizen is extremely versatile in the kitchen.

David Tanis is a big fan of the bright yellow bloom and wrote about it in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Dandelions are one of those Spring greens that get pushed to the side, thanks to the more glamorous stars of the season. Chefs go crazy for asparagus and ramps while foodies gobble up nettles green, garlic and rhubarbs. Dandelions? Not so much.At one time they were popular , adding zing to salads and fermenting as wine. They should appeal to the health conscious.In previous eras dandelions were the go to cure all. There were tinctures and soups, full of them because they were thought to be not only blood cleansers but good for the liver and kidneys. They were turned into tonics for rejuvenation. The greens are good for you.having one of the highest iron contents of any new greens. They're also loaded with such vital minerals as  calcium,copper manganese,and magnesium. Dandelion  greens are also high in Vitamins A and C, which are helpful in absorbing that iron along with Vitamin K used in clotting.Surprisingly they higher in calories than regular spring greens but they are still good for you.

Many home chefs ask what sort of dandelion greens should they get?The greens are sold in farmers markets and they've probably been specifically grown on some kind of farm. Many foragers usually go into the woods or backyards.Just remember that the leaves are highly absorbent and can also pick up whatever poisons and pesticides that were sprayed around them. As for the leaves make sure they're the tender ones that grow before the flower blooms. The leaves have a slight pleasant bitterness to them, especially with the wild ones. Since the French are big on the leaves, Mr Tanis offers them in a vinaigrette.The recipe is modeled after a classic Parisian salad.with lardons,or pork fat cubes, beets and eggs. He spikes it with fresh ginger and lime juice to temper the dandelion's strong flavor.This is an labor intensive salad that includes cooking the beets and lardons and  served with goat cheese smeared on toasted baguettes. The greens can be cooked into a simple frittata with Parmesan cheese and onions. They can also be cooked up like spinach with olive oil and garlic for a side. Use them instead of broccoli rabe with pasta for a new spin on cavatelli and broccoli.

It is dandelion season. Head to the woods or the farmers market and pick them up for a salad or omelet. They are chock full of nutrition and flavor.

Livening Up Everyday Meats

Chicken and port have become everyday occurrences in our daily diets. The problem is that everyday can become boring very quickly. The solution? Pair them with interesting vegetables or make them in interesting ways to liven up dinner. They'll go from boring to exciting in no time.

Melissa Clark and David Tanis know this and wrote about chicken and pork respectively in their Wednesday columns in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Ms. Clark paired chicken with artichokes for her A Good Appetite.This is the season for chokes  and they're wonderful made any way thanks to their inherent sweetness. Unfortunately they are a bit thorny to deal with , due to theie sharp tipped leathery tips. Ms. Clark removes all of  these to reveal the tender heart and the surrounding core of baby leaves which are good braised in a mix of olive oil, chile, white wine and herbs. The chicken is cut up, bones and all and seared first for about six minutes .It's taken out and  then the artichokes and garlic are then put in to cook.Tomatoes and red pepper flakes are added along with wine , olives and rosemary branches. Butter is then added after everything has been oven simmered for half an hour. Ms Clark warns that the chicken skin will lose its' crispness. To remedy this she recommends adding a dusting of Parmesan cheese and quick cook under the broiler. It is a saucy dish so make sure there's a crusty baguette served with it.

Chicken can also be used in David Tanis' satay recipe  from his A City Kitchen column. He uses pork  though in this Thai inspired dish. Satay is an Asian version of shish kebob but instead of using thick chunks of meat, the pieces are thinner and flatter.They should be cut as rectangles in order to lie flat on the skewers. Doing such will allow the satays to cook quickly, just a few minutes per each side. Mr Tanis recommends using the pork shoulder because of the marbling in it with the fat giving the pieces more flavor . Satays are meant to be grilled and , even a small hibachi one can do the job nicely. Even an indoor grill or broiler can do if the weather doesn't cooperate.What makes satays so appealing is the marinade. Mr. Tanis uses one that is highly spiced with cumin, and coriander along with ginger and cayenne for heat. Lemongrass and coconut milk, the mainstays of Thai cuisine , is also added as are fish and soy sauce. The meat pieces are marinated for at least thirty minutes and at the most overnight, the last a must for a more flavorful taste.There is also a fiery cucumber relish made from Japanese or Persian cukes to complement then.Of course there is peanut dipping sauce. - a have to have with the dish. Again , most of the ingredients from the marinade is mixed with pulsed dry roasted peanuts.

Chicken and pork are versatile meats that can be made a variety of ways. Try chicken with artichoke hearts for a  sweet and mellow dinner. Pork can be made into a fun  Thai inspired dish.Try both for a departure from the ordinary.

Another Take On Asparagus

Asparagus is the star  of the Spring season as it was mentioned last week here, It's is popular in a variety of dishes. The stalks really are versatile, being perfect in crepes or as a stir fry.

David Tanis knows this and wrote about them in his column A City Kitchen in yesterday's New York Times Food section . This is the height of the asparagus season on the East Coast. This is when the stalks taste the best and have the best texture. Should foodies eat  the Peruvian ones  or the west Coast ones from Southern California and Mexico available all year round?.Yes, if the craving is that strong but Mr. Tanis advises waiting.The stalks will taste better and be that much more satisfying as the season rolls in.There is also the problem of jet lag, meaning the veggies may be picked fresh , but as we all know that freshness only lasts for a short period.What do raw talks look like? The spears should be smooth and glossy with  tightly closed tips. The bottom ends should look just cut too. This means the asparagus is fresh.As with any cut green, that freshness needs to be maintained until cooking. Advocates recommend standing the spears upright in the fridge in an inch of cold water, similar to what you'd do with cut flowers. The best bet is cooking the asparagus the day you buy it. The fresh  taste won't be diminished then.

Asparagus  spears come in three widths: pencil thin, medium and jumbo.If you go for the ultra skinny remember to cut it into two inch lengths and either saute or stir fry. The thicker ones are better steamed or grilled, roasted or simmered. These are the most versatile to work with .If you do opt for the fatter ones, remember that they need to be peeled.It's beneficial for cooking and for a more silkier texture. Medium or thin ones don;t need this extra process. White asparagus, also popular right now always needs peeling.Cut off or snap off  tough bottoms. If home chefs choose the latter then they should hold their hands towards the bottom end of the stalks or too much will be discarded. Be warned. Stalks can snap in the middle if the technique is carelessly done.The main thing , no matter the size or cooking method, is to make sure the spears are properly cooked. Keep them bright green and firm.As Mr. Tanis advises it's better to keep them underdone, residual heat will cause them to continue cooking as they get lifted out. The recipes are stuffing them into buckwheat crepes, stir frying them with walnuts and butter braising them. The last recipe is probably the best way to enjoy them, There's also lemon juice and fresh herbs such as  dill, parsley, tarragon and chervil to bring out the sweet earthiness.

Take advantage of asparagus season while it's here. Now is the time to enjoy those tender , fresh Springy stalks. Make them any way , just to relish that greenness.

Making Your Pasta Blush

Homemade pasta is exciting on its own. It's fun to make and a treat to taste. Now imagine adding color and more depth to it and you have a truly interesting dish.It's easy to do  - and brings lunch or dinner up another notch.

David Tanis experimented this and wrote about it in his  A City Kitchen column in today's New York Times Food section.Handmade or home made pasta is one of the simplest preps ever.It's just a mix of eggs and flour, mixed together and then kneaded to form a thick dough. It's usually then rolled out and cut or put through a pasta machine to be cut into ribbons or sheets.The result is a yellowy spaghetti or fettucini ,a perfect base for a homemade marinara or creamy Alfredo sauce. Yet is it enough? Does it need more?Mr.Tanis believes so and has a number of suggestions. A colored pasta not only zings up the dish but adds another layer of flavor. Green pasta can be made with pureeing fresh spinach or chard to the recipe. It gives the usually eggy tasting dough a garden fresh taste. Herbs, always included in any Italian dish, can be respun into a batch of angel hair .Add parsley , rosemary and sage to any dough for a speckled , light green result  that's perfect for any Spring dinner.Saffron not only gives a rich , golden hue but also a distinct flavor that 's great with any seafood sauce.

The recipe that Mr/ Tanis gives is for a peppery, red pasta, redolent with Hungarian paprika.cayenne and pimenten.It's a rusty looking pasta that he teams up with sweet vegetables. The reason behind this combo is that the two opposite flavors compliment each other,All together there is a heady dose of hot spices in the dough.It's zingy enough  so it needs a mellowness to tame it down a bit. Mr. Tanis pairs it with butternut squash along with pancetta for some meat and saltiness. Ricotta gives the sauce  a creaminess. This could also be reversed and made into a ravioli with the squash mixture inside a hot pepper dough.Another idea is serving it with an arrabiata sauce for sheer heat or with lobster for a spin on seafood version. Today's masterful recipe could also be reversed with a butternut squash pasta and a spicy sauce.It's just as easy to make as the hot pasta, and the result is a lovely orange fettucini or bucatini,if you like red colored pasta without the heat , then try a tomato based  or red pepper based one. The first requires two tablespoons of tomato sauce added while the second just needs a small unseeded pepper. For a scarlet pasta, try adding half a cup of cooked beets.


Pasta doesn't doesn't have to be bland both in taste and in flavor. Whip up a batch of spicy red or Springy green for a different spin on a classic dish.It's fun and colorful.

A Summery Treat In January

As we anticipate the Blizzard of 16  we long for those summery meals , full of of fresh veggies and fresh flavor. We can have that, not surprisingly  with  a California style pizza. Make it ,  have a cooling drink and think  of sun soaked days on a hot beach .

David Tanis thought of this in his A City Kitchen column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. He gives us  the recipe for a California pizza, one topped with fresh vegetables than sauce. The main star is the dough, Mr. Tanis gives instructions on how to make one that will result in a light delicate crust with crispy edges. According to him the best pizza dough is a relatively soft one.Resist the temptation  to add extra flour or the result will be a heavy crust - not the end result you want.Don;t heavily flour where you'll be kneading it. Go for lightly dusting the area. It
is is a great exercise for novice home bakers. It is an exercise in using yeast as well as kneading, discovering exactly what the phrase smooth and elastic means. You can make double the amount . Pizza dough can be stored  for three to four days in the freezer. it makes for excellent calzones and garlic knots, the last the perfect mate for a wintry minestrone soup.

As for the California topping(this type of pie is sometimes called pizza primavera or Spring pizza), Mr Tanis uses sliced bell or sweet peppers. He also throws in a jalapeno one for excitement and heat. All of these should be thinly sliced because they need to thoroughly cook up during their short time in the oven ( the pizza only takes a mere five to seven minutes to cook up )He also adds sliced red onions along with fennel rich Italian sausage,This should be crumbled all over the top so every
 piece has an equal amount. For cheese lovers, don't worry. You can either opt for mozzarella or Fontina with another helping of extra mozzarella for the cheesy topping.It is a layered pie with the grated cheese going on first, then the peppers. The sausage is then sprinkled on , and the pizza is finished off with a mozzarella covering.Fresh marjoram is then dusted over this, although if you want a more traditional taste go with oregano.Vegetarians can sub in soy sausage and soy cheese as regular meat eaters can use chicken or turkey sausage instead.

Bake this California style pizza when the snow is piling up outside.It 's a sunny taste of the garden that will melt away those winter blues. Have a slice, along with a cooling drink, and pretend you're on your favorite beach.

Middle Eastern Spins

Nothing is exotic or as tasty as Middle Eastern cooking. It is a mélange  of different spices and cooking techniques, all marrying to create a wonderful , flavor packed meal. Mediterranean cooking is also easy. Any novice home chef can make it with ease and confidence, producing a perfect meal.

The cuisine featured prominently in both Melissa Clark's A Good Appetite and David Tanis' A City Kitchen in yesterday's New York Times Food section.Ms Clark made shallots grilled on a warm or indirect heat grill. Shallots are part of the onion family and they have a very sweet taste, intensified by the grilling. Ms. Clark recommends cutting them into chunks, This will vary
the textures of the shallot .Some will have creamy smooth interiors while others will be chunky and chewy which works.The key is moving the shallots around so they can get the optimum warmth.If they're not browning, then move them to the hotter side of the grill..They  are then chopped and mixed with herbs and lemon and turned into a kind of relish to be served with labneh, a richly creamy middle Eastern yogurt. You can use Greek yogurt instead and pile on a pita. Ms. Clark recommends serving the relish with meats and fish, but personally I would have chicken and beef layered with the relish and yogurt as a kind of gyro.

It would also go well with David Tanis' recipe this week, Moroccan steamed lamb shoulder. It one of the favorite Moroccan ways to cook it besides spit roasting and simmered in tangines,it's an easy technique with first starting off with putting the seasoned shoulder in the basket of  large steamer(you can use the steamer part of your spaghetti pot for this). Keep the water at the steamer's bottom at a brisk boil for two and a half to three hours. This will make the meat incredibly tender and succulent. Serve with typical Moroccan veggies such as carrots, turnips and zucchini but you can also have a dish with chickpeas drenched in lemon or spices. Moroccan cooks and home chefs slather saffron butter on the shoulder before cooking but Mr. Tanis recommends dabbing it on the meat and veggies before serving. The shoulder is usually accompanied by wildly spiked red pepper oil that's rich with cayenne. For something much more tamer serve it the charred shallots with it as  side on  top, along with pita to sop up any juices.

Mediterranean cooking is a tasty mélange of different spices and flavors. Try an easy relish of grilled shallots for an easy lunch or served with a steamed lamb shoulder for a dinner. These make wonderfully fragrant dishes that are a snap to make.

The Summery Harvests Of September

Even though it's September there is still tomatoes and greens to be harvested. With them come delicious recipes that utilize the produce of this still summery season. Have them now while  the weather is still balmy and the gardens are still lush. Enjoy these tastes of late summer.

Melissa Clark and David Tanis realized this and made  the early September harvests the subject of their individual columns in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Ms Clark's A Good Appetite  featured the perennial star of the season, tomatoes. She creates a  mash up of three great tomato sandwiches. She deftly blends a BLT with  teas sandwiches  and throws in a heavy dose of the famed Catalan sandwich pan con tomate.The sandwich's base comes from the last. She takes rustic country bread. toasts it and then rubs it with raw garlic and the tomato's pulpy inside.Drizzle olive oil and lightly sprinkle sea salt on it.The tea sandwich part is when strands of tangy white onion is added. Layers of bacon and mayo are added , this is the BLT part of it.It's a messy , yummy sandwich that's literally finger licking good , according to Ms. Clark.Variations abound  with subbing the onions with cucumber and giving it a more Iberian spin by using thinly sliced Serrano ham instead of the  bacon.

David Tanis devoted his a City Kitchen Column to that flavorful French vegetable soup, pistou..This is a Genovese influenced soup from the French Provencale town of Nice. A kind of pesto is made, called pistou and it's exactly the same as its' Northern Italian cousin. Basil ,garlic and Parmigiano cheese is ground  and the olive oil is added to it. since this is a bean soup, there should be  a good mix of them, Use shelling bean from the vibrantly colored  cranberry to the large  , meaty cannellini These should be cooked independently from the soup base. The base itself is a kind of potato stock that also has sautéed onions and more beans, this time romano and yellow wax beans You can add squash and zucchini too, but you can also vary this   with adding a quartered ripe tomato or two.along with cubes f pumpkin of you have any in early bloom. Rice or pasta can be added but it's not necessarily.Afrter cooking  the soup is ladled into bowls and then a spoonful of pistou is added. Serve with toasted baguette slices dipped in oil, or if you want the pistou itself.

The summer is still giving us bounteous harvests. Take advantage of them by making a delicious tomato sandwich  mashup  or a bright green Provencale. soup. Both are perfect to eat during these still balmy days.

Summer Staples From The Garden

This is the time of year when the summer harvests are coming in. There is a proliferation of the three most common, tomatoes, zucchini and corn. These are wonderful to work with, the staples of a summer kitchen. The recipes for them are varied , and can be used for any meal, including breakfast.

David Tanis know this and wrote about it in his A City Kitchen column in today's New York Times' Food section.Fresh summer produce was a big part of his diet during his Midwestern boyhood. He grew up enjoying sun warmed beefsteaks along with sweet corn. There is also his taste for zucchini , thanks to a neighbor who was willing to experiment with it. All three have inspired him to create recipes for three meals. Normally breakfast recipes don't include any vegetables but Mr. Tanis gives us a zucchini flan, that would also work as a light weekend supper.It involves  the sliced veggie along with eggs mixed with milk and nutmeg.Fresh basil and thyme is also used and. The zucchini slices are layered with the custard mixture  Grated cheese such as Gruyere or Cheddar is also part of the flan and it's sprinkled on after the eggs.. If if's too hot to make this, then think about just frying the slices or coins in olive oil and pepper flakes.My version is sautéing in a mix of butter and olive oil with a garlic clove thrown in for more flavor.

Tomatoes and corn are not forgotten either. Mr. Tanis has a yummy tomato salad with anchovy toast that would be right up my alley.  His vinaigrette includes vinegar but you can omit this because the tomatoes provide acidity too. Shallots are also added for bite and garlic cloves. The salad is also colorful. He suggests using a variety of different tomatoes  so the salad had color along with different tastes  from grape, cherry and plum tomatoes. The toast is smeared with anchovy which  makes for a perfect foil for the salad - although be tempted to top the slices with the tomatoes. His corn recipe is a spin on a classic corn muffins with the jolt of jalapeno.Mr. Tanis adds fresh corn kernels to corn meal with the spin of the finely chopped pepper and cheddar. Mushrooms can be added too, surprisingly. Of course tomatoes and corn taste good on their own. Nothing beats a beefsteak with just salt or an ear of corn, slathered with butter, or oil and pesto.

Enjoy the staples of summer. Tomatoes , corn and zucchini can be made a variety of different ways for different meals. Use them for lunch , dinner and even breakfast!