Turkey Bolognese to greet the winter

It's a weird time in New York. Officially, it's just turned fall, and in fact, the leaves haven't even begun to change color yet. They seem to be hanging onto their emerald green as stubbornly as the New Yorkers still popping around the village in flip flops and shorts despite the temperatures hovering around 50 degrees this weekend.

Well not me. Ask this Texan what time of year it is and I'll tell you it's winter. Because despite the natives (both human and botanical in nature) insisting otherwise, it FEELS like winter. Case in point - it takes a lot to make me drag out my winter clothes from our attic and swap them out for my summer clothes, but it was so chilly yesterday I had it done within an hour.

So it's no wonder I was craving something hearty, homey, and warming for dinner. What I really wanted to make was short ribs, but I thought it was a little too early to go to something that filling (i.e. fattening.) After all, there's a lot of winter left. Instead, I opted for a lighter bolognese made with ground turkey. Two things separate this dish from your everyday bolognese. One - I sautedd a thinly sliced fennel bulb along with the onions to give it a hint of sweetness (don't worry if you hate fennel - Kris does and had NO idea it was in there - it loses its distinctive licorice taste after hours of simmering.) Two - I add a pinch of provencal sea salt along with each addition of new ingredients. Provencal sea salt is just regular sea salt with provencal style herbs added to it. If you can't find it in stores, you can blend up your own using whatever dried herbs you like, but the key one for me is dried lavender. This and the fennel keep the dish from getting too bogged down by its rusticness.

I hope winter (or fall) finds you well!


Alisa's Turkey Bolognese with Bow Ties

Olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon provencal sea salt mixed with 1/2 teaspoon plain sea or kosher salt (you will add this gradually throughout cooking and may not use all of it)

1 carrot, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 cup red wine
1 28 oz can whole, peeled tomatoes
2 tspns tomato paste
1 tablespoon each chopped fresh basil, parsley
1 bay leaf
2 cups low sodium chicken stock

1/4 cup whole milk
parmesan, to taste

2 cups bow tie pasta

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add about 3 tablespoons olive oil, or enough to coat the bottom, and let warm through a minute before adding the onions and fennel. Season with a pinch of your provencal sea salt mixture and saute, stirring occasionally until completely softened, about 7 minutes. Add the carrot and garlic along with another small pinch of your seasoning mixture, and saute another 5-7 minutes.

Add the ground turkey, along with another pinch of seasoning. Gently toss and cook until no longer pink, stirring occasionally (but not constantly or you will toughen your meat) for about 10 minutes. Add the wine, peeled tomatoes, tomato paste, fresh herbs, bay leaf and chicken stock along with another pinch of your seasoning and stir to incorporate. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours or until thickened.

After two hours, fill another large pot with water and bring to a boil for the pasta. Season the water with salt, add the pasta, and cook until JUST al dente, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile, take your bolognese off the heat and add the milk, stirring to incorporate, then putting back on the burner on low. Using a slotted spoon or a spider, strain the bow ties and add them to the bolognese (you might not want to add all of the bow-ties - I happen to like a high pasta to bolognese ratio.) Taste for salt, adding any more if necessary, then serve with grated parmesan.

Chicken Piccata for Summer and Chili Dusted Roasted Potatoes

A few years ago when Kris and I were visiting my family in Austin, we watched my mom whip up a simple chicken dish that we all flipped over. That dish was chicken piccata and for some unknown reason it took me about two years to remember to make myself.

The recipe varies oh so slightly from chef to chef but I promise that whichever one you choose - the homemade version is one billion times lighter and fresher than what you remember ordering at Olive Garden. (Not that I'm ripping Olive Garden - that was tres chic when I was in high school, as were, ever so briefly, Rocky Mountain jeans. Thankfully my taste buds and sense of fashion have moved on.)

Anyway, I made my chicken piccata from Giada's Everyday Italian cookbook and to make it even fresher for summer, I dumped in a pint of cherry tomatoes along with the capers. They simmer in the liquid as the chicken finishes cooking, getting plumper and sweeter by the minute. Kris HATES cherry tomatoes, yet I didn't notice him picking them out...

Chicken Piccata, adapted from Giada:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, flattened to 1/4 inch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
all purpose flour (about 1/3 cup, for dredging)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup rinsed and drained capers
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat lightly. In a large saute pan, melt two tablespoons of the butter with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until just brown, about 3 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a plate.

Add the broth, lemon juice, capers and tomatoes to the same pan. Bring the mixture up to a boil over medium high heat, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer until cooked through and tomatoes have begun to wrinkle and burst, about 5 minutes. using tongs, carefully transfer the chicken to plates or to a serving platter. Whisk the remaining tablespoon of butter (Giada uses two - I think one is plenty) into the sauce, then the chopped parsley. Serve with cumin dusted potatoes, as follows, or noodles or thick wedges of garlic bread.

Grilled Cheese and Pea Mozarella Soup - The Cure for what Ails You

There are few things I love more than this pea soup. It's easy, it's healthy, and it's just the sort of thing I want to eat after a long day, sitting with a bowl on the couch with remote in hand. In fact, it would be the PERFECT soup, if it weren't for the unique (to be polite) scent of peas which prevents me from taking leftovers to work. I don't want to be known as the girl who eats the soup that smells like feet. I'm sorry peas, but it's true.

If you've tried pea soup before and are less than thrilled at trying it again, be brave and try again. I didn't even know I liked peas before I made this for the first time, as the only other pea soups I'd had were made heavy and thick and overly salty by either bacon or ham, raping the little veggies of their natural sweetness. It should also be noted that leftovers of this soup can be made even better when you add leftover rice (particularly if you've cooked it with parsley and/or lemon zest.) In fact, that's the other thing about peas - they get along well with everybody, which is why you see them on so many English menus as an accompaniment with everything from fried haddock to lamb, possibly as some sort of karmic retribution for their smell.

Speaking of English, this is Nigella Lawson's recipe, with just the slightest adjustments on my part. Oh and if you're Kris, you don't understand the point of having soup without a sandwich, and the one below is made for dipping in the kelly green, mozzerella flecked swamp.

Pea Soup

4 shallots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 green onions (can sub fresh basil, parsley, mint or whatever herb you have on hand)
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 (10 oz) packages frozen peas
1 large ball fresh mozzarella, broken into small pieces

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, allowing to warm though, then the shallots. Season with salt and pepper and saute for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add green onions and chicken stock, cover and bring to boil. When boiling, add the peas and lower the heat, allowing to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to cool for twenty minutes before blending. Discard the green onions and transfer the peas and shallots using a slotted spoon to a blender. Add half of the chicken stock, and carefully blend (CAREFUL WHEN BLENDING HOT LIQUID - PULL OUT THE PLASTIC CENTER FROM THE TOP TO ALLOW STEAM TO ESCAPE AND COVER LOOSELY WITH A KITCHEN TOWEL OR ELSE YOU'LL WIND UP WITH PEAS SOUP ON YOUR CEILING. TRUST ME - I'VE DONE IT.) Add as much of the leftover stock as you'd like to reach the constistancy you're happy with, then add in half of the mozzarella pieces blending in to incorporate. When happy, put back in the large pot and cook over low heat, until warmed through. Serve with extra mozzarella pieces sprinkled on top.


Mozzarella Grilled Cheese (This sandwich is baked, actually, making it less fussy than other grilled cheeses.)

French Baguette
1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
olive oil
salt and pepper
Basil pesto (either purchased or home made)


Preheat oven to 350. Slice your baguette into the size sandwiches you desire, then halve them. Place the halves on an aluminum lined baking sheet sprayed with Pam. Layer your mozzarella slices on the bottom halves, then drizzle the slices as well as the underside of the tops with a light amount of olive oil (use a light hand - you don't want to make the bread heavy or soggy.) Sprinkle all with sea salt and pepper and place in the oven, baking for about 15 minutes or until cheese has begun to melt off the sides and bread is toasted.

Spread the underside of the tops with pesto, assemble the sandwiches, and serve with extra peso on the side.

Murray's Pasta

I am so glad the carb and pasta bashing seems to have faded a little. As a food lover, I couldn't go more than a couple of days without eating it; as a cook, I couldn't think of anything faster or easier to whip up on the nights I'm too tired to cook but too mentally worn to read a take out menu (not to mention phoning in the order to have someone who inevitably speaks every language BUT English answer.)

This pasta recipe was inspired by the world famous Murray's Cheese Shop. After stopping there one night after work and scooping up some of their fresh homemade pasta and a velvety log of goat cheese, I created it with what I had in my fridge. I probably make it once a week and it yields the only leftovers that are guaranteed to exit my refrigerator in less than 24 hours. If you can't get fresh pasta from Murray's or an Italian market, you could sub the fresh kind in regular grocery stores (I think Bertolli makes a good one) or even use dried. If you are using fresh, watch it carefully and remove it after just a couple of minutes or else you'll have flacid, limp pasta and a dissapointing consistency to the dish. As the gentile gay neighbors said in American Beauty - "You just drop it in the water and it's done!"

Murray's Pasta

1 (16 oz) package fresh spiral pasta (can sub bow ties or penne)
zest of one lemon
1 bunch fresh basil, rinsed and stems removed
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and halved PLUS three tablespoons of the oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
pinch red pepper flakes
1 (4.5 oz) log fresh goat cheese (I prefer Vermont Butter and Cheese brand)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
extra virgin olive oil, optional


Prepare the pasta according to package directions, being careful not to overcook. Drain and place into a large serving bowl. Add the sundried tomatoes, sundried tomato oil, lemon zest, pepper flakes, sea salt, and basil and toss well.

Carefully break up the goat cheese into fat crumbles and add to the pasta with the pine nuts. Gently toss together (overtossing will cause the goat cheese to disappear into the pasta rather than stay in chunks which I prefer.)

Serve immediately, with a small splash of extra virgin olive oil drizzled over the top, if desired.

Cookbook Therapy and Chocolate Steaks

I've mentioned the frightening number of cookbooks I own before. I have to be honest - they are an obsession of mine. I literally think of them as my 'jewels.' They take me to places and moments and memories I long for, and oddly, even to dinners and gatherings that haven't yet taken place. They are magical.

Thank the Lord we have a loft in our apartment (once slated for guests and/or a reading room but whose destiny has since turned into housing my cookbook library as well as seasonal decorations.)

When I am stressed or life worn or feeling fragile - I read cookbooks. When I am beaten down by long work hours and my attention span has been reduced to that of a guinea pig's and I can't fathom opening an actual book - I read cookbooks. When the city has gotten to me (don't get me wrong - I love New York more than I thought I could love a city, but occasionally we fight - such as when the hot water goes out and we have to track down our shady landlord which sometimes takes days... or the time I woke up early one Sunday morning and sprinted out to grab a cappucino, only to discover a massive pile of human poo in our entry way...)

The reasons go on. When I am posessed by the need to throw a party - I read cookbooks. You get my point - cookbooks are there for me from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. They reset my equilibrium when it needs resetting and kickstart my imagination when it begins winding up like an old clock.

So it's no surprise that for my birthday - I recieved a cookbook or two. And it's also no surprise that they came from some of the extraordinary cooks in my life - my sister Jennifer and my mother in law Charlotte.

For this post, I'm going to talk about one of the books from Charlotte called W.I.N.O.S. (are you trying to tell me something, Charlotte?;) W.I.N.O.S. (aka - Women in need of Sanity) features recipes that use chocolate or wine among the ingredients. And even though I'd just had steak a few nights before - guess which recipe first caught my eye?

New York strips with chocolate merlot sauce (I am my father's daughter, after all.) Now first off, don't geek out over the thought of this combination. After all, chocolate is a common ingredient in a classic chicken mole, as well as in some chili recipes. It's not really THAT crazy.

However, I knew when I set out to make this that a) I would make a few changes and b) the entire concept of putting chocolate into a sauce might not turn out to be quite the party I had hoped. And while I won't pretend this recipe is for everyone, I found it very tasty and unusual in a good way. As did Kris.

So, when your hormones are pumping on all cylinders and/or you want to try something unusual and new, I suggest - Steak AND Chocolate!

SPICY GRILLED NEW YORK STRIP WITH CHOCOLATE MERLOT SAUCE:
for 2

Sauce:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion (preferably Vidalia), thinly sliced
2 tspns minced garlic
1 jalapeno, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Merlot
1 T Garam Masala *
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tspn chopped fresh rosemary + sprigs for garnish

* Garam Masala is a traditional Indian spice mixture made up of ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, caraway, and mace or nutmeg. It's literal translation is 'hot' or 'warm spice' and it is an incredible thing to have in your pantry arsenal as its an instant shortcut to TONS of flavor. You can find it in most grocery stores in the spice section, or order it online from high end specialty stores, such as Dean and Deluca.

Steaks:
2 best quality New York strip steaks
2 T garam masala*
2 tspns fennel seeds
1/4 tspn kosher salt


Remove steaks from the fridge and unwrap the butcher paper. Sprinkle the garam masala powder, fennel seeds, and salt even over each steak, then rub the seasonings into the meat (ALL sides, especially into the fat and any nooks and crannies.) Let steaks sit at room temperature while you prepare the sauce.

To get the sauce going, heat a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil, letting it warm through, then toss in the onions, garlic, and jalapeno. Saute, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened and become transluscent. Add the Merlot, quickly bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until liquid has reduced by half. Stir in the garam masala and chocolate, until chocolate has melted and sauce is smooth. Stir in the chopped rosemary and reduce heat to low just to keep the sauce warm until you're ready to serve.

Meanwhile, preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat (you can also 'grill' your steaks on an indoor grill pan set over your stove top on medium-high heat. Adjust grilling time as needed.) Using tongs, carefully place your steaks onto your grill, at an angle so you get those pretty grill marks. Leave them alone with the grill open for 4-5 minutes for medium, 6-7 minutes for well done. Carefully flip them, then shut the grill for 2-3 minutes. Open the grill for one more minute, then remove steaks to an aluminum lined baking sheet to rest. DO NOT cut into your steaks for at least 10 minutes, as they will continue to cook and juices will re-distribute.

When ready to serve, place each strip in the center of your plate, top with chocolate merlot sauce, and a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Pre-Birthday Dinner! (and so forth...)

Well, I can't even contain my excitement over my birthday this year. I had the best birthday since I can remember. Kris, sweetie that he is, remembered how important having a plain as butter, white cake is to me, and therefore searched all over the city to find the best (at least in my opinion.) On the eve of my b-day (July 3rd), he brought home a pink cake from Amy's (enough to feed 20 people!) and a beautiful vase of flowers.

That night I was inspired (don't ask me why - but I found turning 31 far less traumatic than any age in my 20's) to make a serious feast to kick off my birthday. All throughout work that day, I had day dreamed about fillet mignon with a lemon shallot mascarpone sauce, roasted asparagus, and little pizzettes topped with roasted figs, grapes, and pecorino. (If I told you how often I day dream about cooking while sitting in meetings, you would question how I've managed to stay employed over the years... I think it's perfectly normal. Some people get through the day by sneaking peaks at online porn; I myself surf Epicurious and AllRecipes.com with the stealthness of an experienced voyeur...)

The only problem was I had never made the steak sauce I was dreaming of, nor the pizzettes. But again, what draws me to cooking is the rebellious, shoot from the hip nature of it, and I forged ahead...

Figs, which are in season RIGHT NOW, proved to be the darlings when roasted in the oven, dotted over a toasted pita and topped with grated pecorino romano. (As did everyday grapes, which normally I can take or leave. After a leisurely scorching in the oven, they became sweet and carmelized and richer than anything you can imagine.)

Anyway - above are pics of how my birthday kick off meal turned out... The lemon shallot mascarpone sauce was delectable but I think the little pizzettes stole the show. Unfortunately, I didn't write anything down this time, but I'll add the recipes to this post next time I make them.

(Consequently, the rest of the pics are of my actual birthday. We got up in the morning and met friends for brunch at Freeman's then headed on to B Bar, Doc Holliday's, and finally PTD where, to my horror, I recall nearly downing a small tub of processed cheese with some tater tots... Ah well, to be a foodie is nothing more than to love food. And so it is.)

Indonesian Peanut Chicken with Lemon Scented Rice

I have fallen completely head over heels with Indonesian food. After getting stranded in Amsterdam last week with some fellow Cannes stragglers, we went in search of dinner vowing to eat anything un-French. It turns out that the Dutch eat early - nearly everything was already closed. I guess in a city where you can window shop for prostitutes until all hours and/or buy hash to smoke with your pancakes in the morning - they have to draw the line somewhere.

Luckily a little Indonesian place was open and I was introduced to a whole new cuisine. As soon as I got back home, I tore through my one zillion cookbooks looking for Indonesian recipes, which were few and far between. But the most promising one came from (of all places), a 1960's Family Circle book called "Best Chicken Recipes." Feeling slightly guilty after eating nothing but Croque Monsiuers and Rose on vacation, I adapted the recipe changing the chicken thighs to boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I don't think I'll ever bother making it any other way.

Indonesian Peanut Chicken
*Can be made Paleo by using almond butter and chopped almonds for garnish instead of peanuts

4 chicken breasts, gently pounded with a mallet to even out any thicker parts to 1/2 inch
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
pinch pepper
1 heaping teaspoon curry powder
1 heaping teaspoon fresh minced ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips (julienned)
1 large ripe tomato, diced (including its juice)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (or sub almond or other nut butter)
handful of salted, dry roasted peanuts (or almonds), crushed in a ziploc with a mallet or pan
chopped cilantro, optional

1. Put the oil in a large, rimmed nonstick skillet and heat to medium high. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper (skimming the salt from the 2 teaspoons you're going to add later) and add to the pan, browning on each side 3-4 minutes, until just cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate or baking sheet and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, add the curry powder, salt, and red pepper flakes to the pan (you may need to lower the heat a hair) and toast, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.

3. Add the ginger, garlic, onion, tomato, bell pepper and saute about 8-10 minutes until onions are transluscent and vegetables are cooked through.

4. Gently stir in the peanut butter. There should be enough juice left over from the veggies (particularly the tomato) in the pan to make a sauce, but if it's too dry you can also add a few tablespoons warm water to help the peanut butter blend in.

5. Tear the chicken breasts into strips and stir back into the the vegetable mixture. Reduce heat to low and cover for five minutes, until chicken is heated through. Serve with rice (in the last phase of cooking your rice, stir in 1/4 cup snipped green onions and zest of 1/2 a lemon.) Garnish with chopped peanuts, extra green onions, and or a sprinkling of cilantro if desired.