things I like

Classic Shrimp Scampi, NY Times

Posted on January 7, 2016 by admin

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup dry white wine or broth
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ¾ pounds large or extra-large shrimp, shelled
⅓ cup chopped parsley
Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon
Cooked pasta or crusty bread

In a large skillet, melt butter with olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine or broth, salt, red pepper flakes and plenty of black pepper and bring to a simmer. Let wine reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
Add shrimp and sauté until they just turn pink, 2 to 4 minutes depending upon their size. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice and serve over pasta or accompanied by crusty bread.

Sally Schneider’s Slow-Roasted Salmon (or Other Fish)

Posted on January 1, 2016 by admin

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1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pounds thick salmon fillet, or other fish like striped bass or cod (1 large fillet or four 6-ounce fillets)

Kosher salt

A small bunch of fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Chopped fresh herbs like chives, and Greek yogurt to finish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 275° F. Brush a baking dish lightly with half the olive oil.
Arrange the fish fillet(s) skin side-down in the pan. Rub the top with the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Tuck half the thyme sprigs under the fish and place the remainder on top.
Roast for 15 to 35 minutes, until a two-pronged kitchen fork inserted in the thickest part of the fish meets with no resistance, the flesh separates easily from the skin, and is just beginning to flake when you poke into it. An instant-read thermometer should read 120° F. (Don’t worry if the top of the fish has a slightly transparent, raw look; this is the result of the low roasting temperature. It will be cooked inside.)
Serve warm, room temperature, or cold. Remove the thyme sprigs and sprinkle with additional fresh herbs, like chives before serving, if desired. Serve with Greek yogurt mixed with more herbs, or another sauce of your choice. Serves 4

Stuart Brioza’s Mushrooms in Pickle-Brine Butter

Posted on January 1, 2016 by admin

1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium shallots, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
3 pounds mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, oyster, and stemmed shiitake, thickly sliced or quartered
3/4 cup brine, strained from a jar of dill pickles
Kosher salt
Pepper

In a very large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over moderately high heat, swirling, until the butter is golden, about 2 minutes. Add 1/3 of the shallots to the skillet and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add 1/3 of the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 1/3 of the pickle brine and cook until absorbed, about 1 minute. Transfer the mushrooms to a serving bowl and keep warm. Repeat the process 2 more times with the remaining butter, olive oil, mushrooms and pickle brine. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Momofuku’s Soy Sauce Eggs

Posted on January 1, 2016 by admin

6 tablespoons warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
3/4 cup soy sauce
6 large eggs
Maldon or other flaky salt, for serving
Black pepper, for serving

In a medium bowl, whisk together the water and sugar to dissolve the sugar, then stir in the sherry vinegar and soy sauce.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully put the eggs into the boiling water and cook for exactly 6 minutes and 50 seconds, stirring slowly for the first 1 1/2 minutes to distribute the heat evenly. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. When the eggs are done, transfer them to the ice bath.
Once the eggs are cool (and the water isn’t uncomfortably icy), peel them (in the water—this will help them keep a perfect exterior). Transfer the eggs to the soy sauce mixture and marinate in the fridge for at least 2, and up to 6, hours, making sure they are completely submerged. If necessary, top the eggs with a small plate to ensure submersion.
Remove the eggs from the sweet and salty solution. You can save the soy sauce mix for another round of eggs, if you wish. The eggs will keep, refrigerated in a tightly sealed container, for up to a month.
To serve, cut the eggs in half lengthwise and season with salt and pepper. Or Cool Hand Luke them to impress your friends.

Stolichny Chicken (use substitute) Salad adapted from Olga & Pavel Syutkin’s CCCP Cook Book

Posted on December 27, 2015 by admin

4 medium-sized potatoes
1 carrot
4 eggs
1 medium-sized onion
4 dill pickles
200-250 grams cooked dark-meat chicken–use substitute
300 grams tinned green peas
Vinegar-based hot sauce like tobasco

Rinse the potatoes and carrots, but don’t peel them. Place them in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 40 to 60 minutes until tender. Remove vegetables from the stock and allow to cool.
Place the eggs into the salted boiling water and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to a bowl of cold water to cool, then peel off shells.
Peel the potatoes, carrot, and onion, and cut into small uniform cubes, along with the eggs, pickles, and chicken. Combine in a bowl with the green peas. Salt and pepper to taste.
Season with mayonnaise , stir, and let stand to allow the flavors to combine. Mix in hot sauce to taste before serving, with crackers and more pickles. Serves 8-10

Kimchi Pancakes from Lucky Peach Presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes

Posted on December 27, 2015 by admin

FOR THE PANCAKES
2 cups kimchi
Cold water, as needed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rice flour (see headnote)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large scallions, trimmed and chopped (1/2 cup), plus more for garnish, as needed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Thinly sliced chives, for garnish

FOR THE OPTIONAL DIPPING SAUCE
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/8 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Sesame seeds, for garnish

For the pancakes: Squeeze the kimchi over a bowl to release as much of its juice as possible. Top up this liquid with juice from the kimchi container to measure about 1 cup. If you don’t have enough juice, add the cold water. Coarsely chop the kimchi, and keep it separate from the liquid.

Add the all-purpose flour, rice flour and salt to the bowl with the kimchi liquid, whisking until incorporated. If needed, let it stand for a minute or two, until slightly thickened. Fold in the kimchi and 1/2 cup of scallions; let it stand a few more minutes, if needed, until the batter is cohesive.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the batter to the pan, using a spatula to quickly spread it into an even, thin round. Cook until the bottom is brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the pancake, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the other side is brown and crisp and the pancake’s interior is set. Transfer to a cutting board; repeat with the second pancake (including adding the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil).

For the optional dipping sauce: Whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, water and toasted sesame oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Cut the pancakes into wedges, and garnish with chives or scallions. Serve warm with the dipping sauce, if using. Tested size: 4 servings; makes 2 dinner-plate-size pancakes

Dessert for Two’s Chocolate Ganache Coconut Pie from Martha

Posted on December 19, 2015 by admin

This recipe is made in a small 6” pie pan to serve two.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

7 ounces sweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a small food processor, pulse 1/3 of the coconut flakes with the butter. Pulse until the mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl. Sprinkle the remaining coconut on top, and combine with your fingers.

3. Pack the coconut into a 6-inch pie pan, leaving the sides somewhat loose for crispy browning. Pack the bottom crust firmly, though.

4. Use two long strips of foil to form ropes to shield the edges of the crust.

5. Bake the crust on a sheet pan for 10 to 12 minutes. The center should begin to turn golden brown. Then remove the foil shield and continue to bake 4 to 6 minutes more. Watch carefully for burning.

6. Let the crust cool completely before proceeding.

7. Now it’s time to make the filling! Bring the cream just to a boil in a smallsaucepan — you’ll see bubbles around the edge of the pan. Then, remove the pan from the heat and combine the chocolate and the cream in a heatproofbowl. Give it a quick, gentle stir to ensure all of the chocolate is submerged in the cream, and then leave it alone. Walk away. Resist the urge to keep stirring. Ten minutes later, whisk it together and you’ll find the chocolate is smooth and silky. That’s it! You did it!

8. Pour the mixture into the coconut crust.

9. Refrigerate until chocolate sets, at least 3 hours.

10. Slice and serve!

Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp from Ina

Posted on December 17, 2015 by admin

2 pounds (17 to 21 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound angel hair pasta
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Zest and juice of 2 lemons

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the shrimp on a sheet pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.Toss well, spread them in one layer and roast for 6 to 8 minutes, just until they’re pink and cooked through.

Meanwhile, drizzle some olive oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add the angel hair and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Quickly toss the angel hair with the melted butter, 1/4 cup olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and about 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Add the shrimp and serve hot.

Baked brie with raspberry jam from saveur

Posted on December 17, 2015 by admin

1 sheet of puff pastry, defrosted

1 (7 oz.) wheel of brie

¹⁄₄ cup raspberry jam

Egg wash

Crackers, for serving

Heat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and cut puff pastry into an 8″ square. Place brie in the center and top with jam. Fold corners of dough up and around the cheese, sealing it at the top. Brush with egg wash and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until pastry is golden and cheese has melted. Serve with crackers.

Pickled Cranberry Preserves from Canadian living

Posted on December 17, 2015 by admin

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 piece fresh ginger, (1 inch/2.5 cm) thinly sliced
6 whole cloves
2 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp black peppercorns
3 cups fresh or frozen whole cranberries
4 strips orange zest

In saucepan, bring sugar, vinegar, ginger, cloves, salt and peppercorns to boil; cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.

Stir in cranberries and orange zest; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook until cranberries are just beginning to burst, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool completely, about 2 hours. Strain mixture over bowl, reserving solids and liquid.

Transfer cranberry solids to sterilized 2-cup jar with tight-fitting lid; top with enough reserved liquid to cover, discarding any excess. Seal tightly. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 months.