Roasted Tomato Tapenade

It pains me to admit that there is such a thing as too much cheese but alas there are limits to how much dairy one can reasonably consume in a single evening. And so I found myself on the hunt for an appropriate pre-dinner nibble to serve before tucking in to a pan of ricotta stuffed shells crowned with a bubbling layer of bronzed mozzarella.

Inspiration came in the form of this jammy tomato tapenade (Wikipedia tells me it must have capers to be a true tapenade but whatever) . The roasted tomatoes are sweet and savory, the olives are salty and briny, and a touch of heat from the red pepper flakes keeps things interesting. I like it smeared on garlic-rubbed toasts but you can use whatever vehicle you like to get it from bowl to mouth as quickly as possible.

The roasted tomatoes that make up the base of the tapenade are great to have around and are easily prepped ahead of time. I like them stirred into cottage cheese or scrambled eggs, on toast slathered with Miracle Whip (so wrong but so right) or sprinkled over a wedge salad. Roast off a batch on a Sunday afternoon and have them at the ready whenever you want them.

Roasted Tomato Tapenade

(Yields approximately 2 cups)

24oz cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (any mix of colors and shapes will do)

olive oil, for drizzling

salt

3/4 cup pitted olives, finely chopped (I used a Sicilian mix)

1tbsp apple cider vinegar

pinch of red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place tomatoes on a baking sheet cut side up. It’s ok if they are snug but you’ll want to keep them in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Roast tomatoes for approximately 90 minutes. They are done when they look semi-dried and are slightly browned on the bottom.

Working in batches, transfer the roasted tomatoes to a cutting board and finely chop. Scoop the chopped tomatoes into a bowl along with their juices and repeat with remaining tomatoes. Tip any olive oil remaining on the baking sheet into the bowl as well.

Add chopped olives, vinegar, and red pepper flakes to the tomatoes and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, vinegar, olive oil, or pepper flakes as needed.

Scoop onto toast or crackers and enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Candied Blood Oranges

A few weeks ago, my boyfriend and I were in London for the first time. While we tried to do Rick Steves proud, soaking up culture and trying to act like locals, we also spent an embarrassing amount of time at Harrods, gawking at the spectacle of the famed department store. We waded through floor after floor of luxury goods, pondering what it must be like to dress your baby in Gucci or own a Fendi sofa, but I was truly taken aback by the food halls.  

In between sharing the tallest, fluffiest english muffin I've ever seen and eating a decadent lunch at the rotisserie counter, we combed through case after case of chocolates, confections, and tea. While there were many stunning options, it was the display of candied bergamot dipped in chocolate that caught my eye. Having never seen bergamot outside of a cup of earl grey tea before, I had to try it, and I threw in a slice of the blood orange and clementine too for good measure. All three flavors were so delicious, I knew I had to figure out how to make them at home. I'm still trying to figure out where to source fresh bergamot in Seattle, so I went with readily available and still stunningly beautiful blood oranges.

My first attempt at candied citrus was a disaster. I couldn't make an even slice to save my life, I didn't cook the oranges long enough, and I couldn't get them to dry enough to dip. Thankfully with a few tweaks, the second attempt was much better. The orange slices came out tender but still slightly chewy and the dark chocolate kept the whole thing from becoming too sweet.  These taste like a sophisticated version of the chocolate oranges I loved as a kid. I'll be making more for holiday treats in the weeks to come, but for now I'm content to have a stash all to myself, waiting for me in the fridge.

Dark Chocolate Candied Blood Oranges

2 blood oranges, sliced into 1/4in rounds

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups water

4oz dark chocolate

In a wide pot, combine sugar and water. Stir to dissolve sugar then bring mixture to a boil. Add blood orange slices, taking care to make sure they are all submerged, and boil for 20 minutes. Flip the orange slices and reduce heat to medium low. Continue to cook until the oranges are translucent and the syrup is thickened, about 30 minutes.

Using a fork or small spatula, remove orange slices and lay on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Allow orange slices to dry for 24 hours uncovered. Allowing air to circulate on all sides is essential for getting the slices to dry to the right consistency.

Break dark chocolate into small pieces and place in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave chocolate in 30 second intervals until it is completely melted and stir to ensure chocolate is smooth. Dip orange slices into chocolate and set on a sheet of parchment to dry. Once the chocolate has hardened, gently remove slices and transfer to a container. Store in the fridge for up to a week.

This method can be used with any citrus fruit. Choose fruit that is firm and evenly shaped for easier slicing.

Corona Bean and Sausage Cassoulet

I first encountered Rancho Gordo beans a few years ago during a visit to San Francisco.  I was meandering through the Ferry Building when I came upon their shop.  There was a giant tub of dried beans inviting passersby to run their hands through them, so I obliged. I began to peruse the shelves and couldn't help taking home a bag of big, beautiful royal corona beans. This corona bean and sausage cassoulet was the first recipe I made with them and it's one I come back to every year as soon as the weather is cool enough to run the oven for a few hours. I love to make it on a Sunday for dinner and have leftovers for lunch the rest of the week. I hope it will become one of your favorites.  Don't be surprised if it makes you an heirloom bean convert too.

A note on bean soaking - there are many different schools of thought here.  I use one of two methods.  If I remember ahead of time, I'll dump the dried beans into a bowl, cover with water by a couple of inches, and soak in the fridge for several hours or overnight.  If I don't remember to soak, I'll use the "power soak". To power soak, place the dried beans in a large pot and cover with water by a couple of inches. Bring the beans to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.  Then remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for one hour. Some people will swear allegiance to one method or another. I say do what works best for you.

Corona Bean and Sausage Cassoulet (Adapted from Bon Appetit)

3 cups dried corona beans (or other large bean), soaked and drained

4 tbsp olive oil

6 spicy Italian sausage links (I like the chicken variety from Whole Foods)

1 large leek, sliced in to 1/4 in rounds

1 small onion, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp smoked paprika

3 cups chicken broth

1 28oz can whole tomatoes, preferably fire roasted

7 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs rosemary

2 cups panko bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

Place beans in a large pot and add water to cover by a few inches. Simmer the beans, partially covered, until they are just beginning to be tender, 1 1/2-2 hours. Set aside 1 cup of bean broth from the pot then drain. 

Preheat oven to 450°. Heat 2 tbsp oil in the same pot used for the beans over medium. Sear the sausages until they are browned on all sides. They do not need to be cooked through but you want to get plenty of color on the outside. Remove sausages to a plate and set aside.

Add leek and onion to the same pot. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are softened and beginning to brown. Add the garlic, tomato paste and paprika and stir to combine.  Continue stirring until the tomato paste begins to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Add the bean broth, chicken broth, beans, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves, and rosemary and bring to a boil.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes. (At this point the beans should be very tender. If your beans are not tender, continue baking until they are) Slice each sausage into 3-4 pieces and add to pot, pressing to submerge. Bake for an additional 40 minutes.

Place panko breadcrumbs in a small bowl, drizzle with remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Remove herb sprigs and bay leaves from the cassoulet. Sprinkle panko in an even layer over the cassoulet and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. 

Miso Aioli

I've never been much of a mayonnaise person and yet here I am, licking it straight off the spoon. So, what happened? Well it turns out that homemade mayonnaise or aioli (aioli is traditionally a creamy emulsion of garlic and olive oil but is commonly used today as a term for flavored mayonnaise)  is not only super easy to make,  but also way more delicious than the store bought stuff. Adding a salty hit of miso makes it so tasty you might not be able to contain yourself.  Your raw and roasted veggies will be begging for a dip in the stuff.  Your pretzels and crackers might even try to get in on the action. 

I learned how to make aioli a few months ago during a Spanish tapas cooking class at the Pantry. (I highly recommend it for those in the Seattle area) If you've never made your own aioli before, you really should. Using the food processor makes it almost foolproof and you'll still feel like you've pulled off a great feat of culinary artistry. Once you have the basic method down, you can experiment to your heart's content.

I first experimented with adding miso when I was creating an appetizer for an asian leaning dinner party and I think this variation is a keeper. It's great served as a dip for blistered shishito peppers or dolloped on roasted sweet potato wedges but my favorite way to eat it is on thin slices of raw daikon radish. It's salty, creamy, crunchy and refreshing.  What more can you ask for in a snack?

Miso Aioli

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp white vinegar

1 tsp dry mustard

1 cup neutral oil (olive oil also works if you like the flavor)

3-4 Tbsp white miso

Add egg yolk, vinegar, and dry mustard to the bowl of a small food processor and pulse to combine. With the food processor running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream.  Most machines have a special feeder in the lid for this purpose. Once the oil is fully combined, add 3 tbsp of miso and pulse to combine.  Taste and add remaining tbsp of miso if desired. If you used olive oil, you'll likely need to go heavier on the miso. Miso aioli will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Chimichurri

I've been thinking a lot about vegetables lately and how challenging it is to eat enough of them despite being a big fan. Some people solve this problem by only eating salad or pretending zucchini is pasta but that's never really been my style.  Instead I'm taking a page from some of my favorite restaurants and focusing on giving vegetables the star treatment so that you can actually get excited about eating them.  One of the easiest methods I've found so far involves a little green sauce called chimichurri.

While chimichurri is a staple in Argentinean cooking, I managed to spend 30 years in America without tasting it. Don't make the same mistake. This miracle of a condiment has everything going for it - a punch of herbs, a little bit of heat, richness from the olive oil, and enough vinegar and salt to keep it all in balance. It turns just about any grilled or roasted vegetable from a respectable but dull side dish into one you can't stop eating. 

Here's how you take it from sauce to dinner:

1. Make the chimichurri (recipe below).  The flavor gets better if it has 20-30 minutes to hang out.

2. Toss veggies on a sheet pan with olive oil, salt, and pepper and throw them in the oven to roast.  My rotation includes carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, asparagus, cauliflower, and runner beans. Don't sleep on the sweet potatoes.

3. Grill up a flank steak or any other protein lurking in the freezer. A grill pan is a great option if you can't get to an actual grill.

4. Pile your meat and veggies onto a platter and serve with a bowl of chimichurri. I like to do a drizzle over everything while my boyfriend prefers to make a puddle in the center of the plate for dipping.  Find the method that brings you joy.

5. If you had the forethought to make extras, you'll be enjoying some very tasty work lunches. Leftover chimichurri keeps in the fridge for about a week.

Chimichurri (Adapted from Food & Wine)

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

3 tbsp red wine vinegar (equal parts sherry vinegar and white vinegar also works)

4 large garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp oregano leaves, finely chopped

2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine parsley, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and crushed red pepper in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle in olive oil and stir to combine.  Let sit for 20-30 minutes and taste again before serving and adjust seasoning if needed.

Note: I've reduced the amount of olive oil in the original recipe by half because I like the herbs and vinegar to come through more.  The volume of olive oil can be adjusted to your personal taste.

Popovers

When you're an early bird living with a night owl in a loft apartment without many walls or doors, you spend a lot of early morning hours creeping around like a cartoon burglar.  I've become really good at getting dressed in the dark and watching tv at a barely audible volume but cooking quietly remains a challenge.  I love it when I find a recipe that allows me to spend some early morning quiet time in the kitchen without waking sleeping beauty and popovers are just the thing.

Popovers seem to be a forgotten baked good but I'm ready to champion their comeback. They require only a few basic ingredients, are endlessly customizable, and are downright fun to make. I like them plain for breakfast, smeared with salty butter and jam, for brunch alongside soft scrambled eggs, or at dinner,  dunked into a soup or stew.  If you want to take them in a savory direction, black pepper and parmesan or a handful of whatever herbs you've got laying around are delicious additions.

The thing that makes popovers fun is the "pop" or rise they get in the oven.  For me, the thrill of seeing an inch or two of batter transformed into a towering popover has yet to get old.  As long as you stick to a couple of basic rules, getting your popover to pop is easy.  First, make sure your milk and eggs are at room temperature.  If you're short on time, microwave the milk for a few seconds and run the eggs under warm water to warm them up.  Second, don't open the oven while the popovers are baking.  Easy breezy.

There are many popover recipes out there in the world and with lots of variation in cook time and ingredients.  I use Alton Brown's recipe.  It comes out perfectly every time (as long as you follow the rules above) and it makes a great blank canvas for adding your own flavors.  He recommends using a blender to mix the ingredients but I just dump everything into a glass measuring cup and give it a quick whisk. 

If you're looking for a popover pan, I use this baby.

Happy baking!

Cheese Fondue

Fondue is a perfect food for entertaining.  There's something about a bubbling cauldron of cheese or chocolate that unites people, turning strangers into fast friends.  There's plenty of time for stories and laughter and even the occasional fondue fork jousting as everyone waits their turn to dip into the pot.

Despite being a dinner party go-to, fondue wasn't something I’d ever considered making for a regular old dinner. Big mistake.

It turns out, fondue is also the perfect meal for a casual Saturday night on the couch, spent catching up on TV.  It only take a few minutes of chopping and shredding followed by 5 minutes of stirring and you're ready for hot, cheesy, goodness. The next time you're looking to eat an obscene amount of cheese from the comfort of your couch, I suggest you give it a try.

A quick note on fondue pots - get an electric one.  It doesn't look as cute as the old fashioned kind but it is much easier to regulate the temperature and you don't need to keep cans of fuel on hand.  

Cheese Fondue

18 oz good quality melting cheese, shredded (I used a mixture of aged gruyere and Beecher's flagship)

3 Tbsp corn starch

3/4 cup dry white wine (I like a sauvignon blanc)

1 clove garlic, peeled

1/2 tsp dry mustard

a few grates of fresh nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Assorted dippers (cubed bread, sliced apples, blanched veggies, etc)

Add shredded cheese to a large mixing bowl.  Sprinkle corn starch over the cheese and toss to coat.  This will ensure the cheese melts smoothly and doesn't become an oily mess.  

Rub the inside of a medium sauce pan with the peeled garlic then set the pan over medium heat.  Add the wine and bring to a simmer.  Once the wine is simmering, add the cheese, stirring frequently as the cheese melts.  Each combination of cheeses is a bit different so don't be afraid to add a bit more until you get a consistency you are happy with.

Add the dry mustard, a few grates of fresh nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer fondue to your fondue pot and serve.

The Best Orange Beef

If I were pressed to name a signature dish, orange beef would be it. It’s spicy, salty, citrusy, crispy, and sticky - all excellent qualities in a food. It is both my most requested dish and something I delight in making just for myself, so I don’t have to share it with anyone. It’s been lovingly described as meat candy.

This recipe was born out of an intense craving for the Chinese American takeout of my youth, the kind I always lobbied for after a day spent home sick from school. After too many disappointing rounds of take-out, I decided to learn how to make it myself. It took a lot of tinkering but I think I've finally landed on my platonic ideal of orange beef. 

The Best Orange Beef (Adapted from Food and Wine)

3/4 pound flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain and cut into bite sized strips (freezing for 15 mins make it easier to slice thinly)

1 tsp baking soda

zest and juice from one large orange

3 tbsp soy sauce (its worth seeking out a Chinese soy sauce, I like Pearl River Bridge)

3 tbsp white vinegar

2 tbsp shaoxing wine (available at Asian markets, substitute dry sherry if needed)

1 tbsp sugar

1tbsp sambal

2 tsp plus 1/4 cup cornstarch

1 large egg white 

3-4 scallions, thinly sliced

neutral oil for frying

Place flank steak in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with baking soda and toss to coat.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  

Assemble sauce while beef chills.  Combine orange zest and juice, soy sauce, vinegar, shaoxing wine, sugar, sambal and 2 tsp cornstarch in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whisk to combine and set aside.

After 30 minutes, remove beef from refrigerator.  Toss beef in egg white then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cornstarch.  Toss to evenly coat and let rest 10 minutes.

In a large cast-iron skillet or wok, heat oil for frying.  I prefer to shallow fry over medium-high heat in roughly 1/2 inch of oil.

When oil is shimmering, add the beef in a single layer taking care not to overcrowd the pan or wok.  Fry the beef in batches until it is browned and crisped, 1-2 minutes per side.  Drain the beef on a baking sheet lined with paper towels as you work through remaining batches.

Pour all but 1 tbsp of oil from the pan and return to medium heat.  Add the sauce and scallions to the pan and stir constantly until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.  This should take 1-2 minutes.  Add the beef to the pan and toss quickly with the sauce.  I find tongs helpful to quickly get an even coating of sauce on every slice of beef.

Transfer to a plate and enjoy!  Any leftovers are great cold as a midnight or after-work snack.

Fresh Pasta

I've been a pasta fanatic for as long as I can remember.  Though many have abandoned it in favor of trendy diets, my devotion has never wavered.  I'm lucky enough to live just a few blocks from one of the best pasta restaurants in Seattle if not the country (the always crowded and always worth it Il Corvo) so I never really felt the need to make my own.  That all changed a few months ago when I decided to take an unprecedented two-week staycation and itching for a project, bought a pasta machine.

I made it through my first batch of tagliatelle with only a minor catastrophe.  I was so caught up in cranking out perfect ribbons of pasta and winding them into cute little nests that I neglected to read the part about dusting them liberally with flour to prevent sticking.  When it was time to go into the boiling water, my beautiful pasta had formed stubborn dough blobs that refused to be separated.  What I was able to salvage was not pretty but it tasted damn good.  

Despite a few bumps along the way, I came away with an unexpected appreciation for the act of making pasta, not just the finished product.  It amazes me that some flour and a bunch of eggs transforms from a lumpy, barely held together mess into silky, almost transparent sheets of dough with nothing more than time and elbow grease.  There's something meditative about rolling and re-rolling the dough through the machine and it’s thrilling to see your dough emerge from the cutter in perfect ribbons.  

Last weekend, armed with a fresh bag of semolina flour, I made another attempt and the result was both picture-perfect and delicious.  

Basic Pasta Dough (Based on recipe from The New York Times)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

3 egg yolks (save those whites for future treats!)

2 tablespoons water (more or less as needed)

Semolina flour, for dusting

Measure flour into a large mixing bowl and form a well in the center.  Pour whole eggs and yolks into the well and begin to slowly incorporate the flour with a fork.  Continue working the flour into the egg mixture until it is mostly incorporated.  Now it's time to get your hands in there and continue working the dough until it comes together to form a shaggy ball.  If necessary, add a tablespoon or two of water to help the dough come together.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and begin kneading.  Continue kneading for 3-4 minutes (this will feel like an eternity).  The dough should start to become smoother and more yellow in color.  Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

After the dough is rested, divide the disk into fourths.  Remove one fourth and cover the rest for the time being.  Flatten the ball of dough into an oval approximately the same width as your pasta machine.  

Now it's time to roll.  Begin on the widest setting and gently feed the dough through.  Repeat this process several more times, moving to a narrower setting each time.  I use the Marcato Atlas pasta machine and have found that working from 0 to 5 produces the right thickness.  You'll know you're there when you can see the outline of your hand through the pasta.  At this point you can cut the rolled pasta into sheets for ravioli or lasagna or cut them into your choice of shapes.  

Dust the finished sheets or strands with semolina flour to prevent sticking and arrange on a baking sheet.  Keep covered with a tea towel until you are ready to cook.  Cook fresh pasta in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes and toss with your favorite sauce.

Romano Beans

I really love the idea of waking up on a sunny weekend morning and taking a leisurely stroll through the local farmers market.  In this fantasy, the farmers market becomes a relaxing ritual that inspires a weekend of great dishes.  In reality, I get a weird sunburn while waiting in an absurdly long line for berries and then spend 45 minutes on a crowded bus trying not to smash my expensive produce. Nevertheless, I've been making an effort to go more often and was recently rewarded with the discovery of romano beans.

I decided on a simple preparation for my first attempt - blanched for a few minutes and then tossed in a shallot vinaigrette.  We ate them as part of a Sunday feast with friends that included grilled sausages, a radicchio salad, and grilled garlic bread, but the beans stole the show. They taste mostly like a green bean but have a fantastically meaty texture that makes you want to go back for more.  The mild flavor also means you can take them in almost any direction you please.

This past Saturday I hit the market again for another fix.  On Sunday I served them alongside Smitten Kitchen's Corn Chowder Salad, this time tossed in a little melted butter and whole grain mustard. Once again, we cleaned the bowl. 

Coconut Pecan Granola

When I like something I really like it.  I will listen to the same song (currently Simon and Garfunkel's America) on repeat for days at a time or wear a beloved pair of shoes until they fall apart (RIP leopard sandals).  But usually my fixations have something to do with food.  It might be an ingredient I can't get enough of, a recipe so good it deserves to be made multiple times in the same week, or a restaurant meal worth flying for.  I've decided to create this space to talk about the foods I love and hope that others may find their next obsession here too.

I never had the desire to blog until reading Molly Wizenberg's Orangette. I devoured the entire archive in just under two weeks and have been steadily working my way through the recipes I remembered to bookmark. I've long loved her books and podcast and restaurants and now deeply regret missing out on the blog that preceded them all. It seems fitting that my first post is inspired by her.  

Granola has never been a food that appealed to me and I’d certainly never considered making my own,   but after reading several different recipes for it during my Orangette binge, I was curious.  All I can say is WOW.  Somehow oats, coconut, and pecans bound together with a little honey and olive oil and a hefty pinch of salt become something much better than the sum of those parts.  The salt and olive oil add a savory edge that keeps things interesting. It’s equally delicious with milk or straight out of the jar.  I've had it for breakfast every day for a week and I'm still not tired of it. 

Coconut Pecan Granola

Adapted from Molly Wizenberg's French Chocolate Granola

3 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

6 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp olive oil (olive oil gives this its distinct and addictive flavor)

hefty pinch of coarse salt (I used San Juan sea salt)

Preheat oven to 300° F

In a large bowl, combine oats, pecans, coconut, sugar, and salt.  Toss to combine (I use my hands).

In a small microwave safe bowl, combine honey and olive oil.  Microwave for a few seconds just until the honey begins to loosen.  Stir to combine.  Pour over the dry ingredients and toss until everything is well coated.

Spread the mixture in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, tossing once halfway through.  It is done when the oats are golden and your kitchen smells pleasantly toasty. Give the warm granola a toss then allow to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container or zip top bag.  If you are a Weck jar fanatic like me, this may be the perfect excuse to buy another.