Nectar

Last night we lit the first candle for Chanukah. A wonderful night the girls had to follow clues to find their gifts and let's just say, the Muppets are very popular in the house this year. We enjoyed a quiet dinner of broiled salmon with a honey, sage and whisky glaze and my favorite latkes. I love this recipe because the latkes freeze well for keeping and make a sumptuous base for a fried egg in the morning.

 

SAGE AND GOAT CHEESE LATKES WITH WHISKY SOUR CREAM

5 large organic russet potatoes (shredded, either by hand or with a food processor)

5 eggs

1 t. salt

2 t. pepper

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

8 oz. goat cheese

1 c. fresh chopped sage

olive oil

 

Once you have the potatoes shredded, drain them as best you can in a colander, push down with a spatula to extract as much water as possible. Then working in batches, place a large pile of the shredded potatoes in the middle of a clean kitchen towel. Wrap the towel around the potatoes and wring out any additional water. Once all the potatoes have been wrung out, place them in a mixing bowl and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, pepper and garlic. Add this to the potatoes along with the goat cheese and sage and mix until thoroughly combined.

In a pan or flat skillet over medium heat, brush a layer of olive oil on your cooking surface. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop out the latke batter and place it onto the hot surface. Spread out a bit and flatten. Cook for about 5 minutes then flip and cook an additional five minutes or until golden and cooked through. Serve immediately or reheat in a toaster oven.

 

For the epicurean adventurers, try this for a topping:

8 oz. sour cream

1/2 t. whisky

Whisk together, place a dollop on top of your latkes and sprinkle with a bit of chopped sage and cracked black pepper.

 

Taking the rest of the week to relax and enjoy the season. We are soon heading to the Outer Banks to spend the New Year and I have a couple of things planned while we are there... so I'll be back soon. In the meantime, have a Happy Chanukah, a Beautiful Solstice and a Merry Christmas. 

And when you find yourself seriously over the holiday music... have a listen to this:

A GOOD YEAR

Lord Have Mercy On My Soul : Black Oak Arkansas

New Years : The Airlines

The Stroke : Billy Squier

Phosphene Dream : The Black Angels

Goody Two Shoes : Adam Ant

Black Cloud : Morrissey

Old Fangs : Black Mountain

Castle Keep : Wolf People

Waiting Room : Fugazi

53rd & 3rd : Ramones

Gold On The Ceiling : The Black Keys

Everyone Says I'm Paranoid : Apartment

Outlaw : War

Sweet Sweet Heart : The Vibrators

We Float : PJ Harvey

Listen here.

Squeezing in one more Be My Guest before the holidays... I adore Aran, she is inspiring beyond words and her photography and styling have become rather iconic in the world of food blogs. Born and raised in her native Basque Country, and trained as a pastry chef, her recipes are always captivating and beautifully captured. Her blog Cannelle et Vanille is one of the most widely read food blogs in the world and I feel rather honored that she would consider being my guest today. Aran is sharing a recipe that would make a perfect snack, a gorgeous dessert - or even a lovely breakfast...

Aran says:

"One of the first things I was allowed to do as a child growing up in my grandparents' pastry shop was to crack and peel nuts. I remember my wrinkled fingers from snapping blanched almonds between them. This is something we did a lot right before Christmas as they were getting ready to make infinite pounds of turrón. The smell of brown butter and hazelnuts speaks of warmth and makes me long for winter days at home.

I make financiers at home often as they are so quick and easy to make gluten-free. My kids love them in their lunch box too - a treat. These financiers are made with hazelnuts, earthy amaranth flour, vanilla bean, a hint of lemon and crunchy Asian pears. Enjoy!"

 

ASIAN PEAR, HAZELNUT & AMARANTH FINANCIERS 

Makes 8

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup natural cane sugar

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped

4 egg whites

1/2 cup hazelnut meal

1/2 cup amaranth flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 small Asian pear, peeled, cored, and diced

1 teaspoon lemon juice

 

 

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease your individual bundt pans or line muffin pan with baking cups. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, cook the butter over medium high heat until the milk solids start to brown, about 5 minutes. Pour the brown butter into a bowl to cool for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl,  mix the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla seeds. Rub all the ingredients together between your fingers until you can smell the lemon release its oils. Add the egg whites and whisk until lightly frothy. We are not looking for volume just that they are well mixed.

Add the hazelnut meal, amaranth flour, and salt. Whisk to combine. Scoop the batter into mold and fill a 3/4 of the way up. Toss the diced pears with the lemon juice. Divide the pears amongst the molds and lightly press them into the batter.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then invert them onto a cooling rack.

 

 

Thank you so much Aran - and watch for her upcoming title, Small Plates and Sweet Treats: My Family’s Journey to Gluten-free Cooking from Little, Brown & Co. next fall - in the meantime... Aran has put together a lovely playlist for you... have a beautiful day!

WINTER BAKING

Center of Gravity : Yo La Tengo

Tormentas : McEnroe

Skinny Love : Bon Iver

Ballad of Big Nothing : Elliot Smith

Godsend : Beat Happening

Sea of Love : Cat Power

Like A Fool : Superchunk

She Cracked : Jonathan Richman

Caibou : Pixies

Mila Kolore : Ama Say

No Radio : Dirty on Purpose

Moonshadow : Cat Stevens

Pescado Y Vino : Le Mans

Place To Be : Nick Drake

No Cars Go : Arcade Fire

Moon River : Morrissey

Listen here.

*All photos by Aran Goyoama.

 

One of the reasons I started this blog was to document in words and photographs our journey to eating responsibly. We started with cutting out high fructose corn syrup and eggs from caged hens some years ago and slowly started to shift other aspects of our diet as well. Local and organic dairy, eggs, produce and local grass fed meat are now staples and if we can not afford grass-fed meat some weeks - we just don't buy meat at all. As freelancers, we have to be careful about how we spend, but there is great joy in knowing where your food comes from - the connection is one that speaks to our souls.

I have recently been speaking with Ron Silver, the owner and creator of Bubby's. One of our go-to brunch places in New York, Ron's passion for farm to table is infectious. In truth, the term "farm to table" does not seem to encompass the entirety of Ron's philosophy. Yes, they purchase their produce from local farms, but the connection is much deeper. Bubby's maintains personal relationships with all of their purveyors and the extent to which their products are used is astonishing. As an example, they use nearly every inch of the pigs they procure each week and in process, cure their own bacon (something my sister-in-law did recently as well - totally inspring!) The dialogue has inspired me to seek further depth in our connections to our plates while educating our children about the importance of American farms.

 

The following recipe is reprinted with permission from Bubby's Brunch Cookbook - it's an amazing tome to this hallowed meal that we seem to adore more than most. And it's the perfect holiday brunch - make it the night before while overnight guests are otherwise engaged and toss it in the oven first thing in the morning. Perfect.

I paired ours with a simple salad of spinach, arugula, radicchio, shaved Brussel sprouts, black grapes, almonds and a dressing whisked together of olive oil, orange juice and honey mustard.

BUBBY'S SAVORY BACON AND CHEESE BREAD PUDDING

1 large loaf of crusty white bread (I had used my baguette recipe to make and freeze loafs - they worked perfectly in this recipe)

12 oz. slab bacon

4 T. butter

1 lrg. garlic clove

1 c. coarsely diced onion

6 extra large eggs

3 1/2 c. heavy cream

3 c. grated sharp white Cheddar

2 t. salt

1 t. pepper

1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 350F.

 

Cut the bread into cubes and place cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, until just barely toasted. Remove the bread crumbs from the oven and set aside.

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until very crispy. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and discard the rest. Add the butter to the bacon fat in the skillet and saute the garlic and onions for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

Whisk the eggs and cream in a large mixing bowl. Add the bread crumbs, bacon, garlic and onions and 2 cups of the Cheddar cheese. Whisk in the salt, pepper, and parsley.

Butter a 9x12 baking dish. Pour the mixture into the dish and sprinkle with the remaining cup of Cheddar. Bake for 45 minutes or until firm and golden.

 

HOLIDAY BRUNCH

Eskimo Lament : The Coral

Crystal : Stevie Nicks

Wigman : Bob Dylan

Frozen Heart : Smoke Fairies

Undertow : Warpaint

Castles in the Snow : Twin Shadow

Stars : Warpaint

Yesterdays Tomorrows : Tindersticks

Fools Gold : The Stone Roses

Set Down Your Glass : Snow Patrol

Somebody : Depeche Mode

Fog Emotion : Vetiver

Basic Space : The xx 

Listen here.

Last night, Ayla performed in her first Nutcracker. She loves to dance and while watching dress rehearsals a few nights ago, fell madly in love with the Dew Drop Fairy. So much so, that on the way out that evening, she told her how beautiful she was and asked if she would come home and be her sister. As we walked down the street together after rehearsal, she pirouetted all the way to the car. To say last night was emotional can not truly define what it feels like to observe your child realizing a dream. It's nothing short of the richest and most beautiful magic that exists in our world.

There is also magic in traditions. We have some that we honor religiously every season, some we slowly out grow and some we sadly forget all together. I'm so happy to have my mom with us right now and equally happy that she reminded me about the Sherried Walnuts she used to make every year. With no Sherry in the house, I improvised and was thrilled with results. This is an easy make and give recipe - if they last long enough to gift!

SALTED PORT CANDIED WALNUTS

1 c. port

2 c. brown sugar

4 c. shelled walnuts

sea salt

Pour the walnuts in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Roll out a long sheet of parchment paper to allow the candies to cool and harden when they are ready.

In a medium sauce pan, add the port and brown sugar over medium heat. Affix your candy thermometer to the side of the pot. Whisk the sugar until it dissolves, then leave alone until the thermometer reads 240F.

 

Working quickly, pour the sauce over the walnuts and mix thoroughly so that all the walnuts are coated. Pour them out onto the parchment and use the back of a spoon to spread them out flat. Sprinkle with sea salt while still moist. Let set for 3-4 hours or until the candy as hardened. Break apart and store in an air tight container for up to a month.

 

I hope you enjoyed the make & give posts and they inspire you to handcraft your holiday this year. Back next week with one more guest before the holiday, a special breakfast and of course... latkes!

 

Mixing it up a bit today. The weather is unusually warm. I'm not sure if it's unusual for Asheville, but it's unusual for us. We've been trying to spend some time outside and the rain has subsided enough for Adie to get back into the ring. She is a natural and her focus and determination when riding inspires me endlessly. So this post is for my Adie Fey, a little mix that she loves to munch on while we drive the gorgeous Blue Ridge Parkway to her lessons - and a playlist she wanted to share with you...

 

 

ADIE'S SNACK ATTACK

2 c. pretzels (any shape will do)

2 c. Annie's Bunny Grahams Honey

1 c. honey roasted cashews

1 c. dark chocolate chips

5 oz. dried cranberries

5 oz. dried blueberries

Combine all in one big mixing bowl. Mix and enjoy!

 

ADIE'S COUNTRY FETE

The Devil Went Down to Georgia : The Charlie Daniels Band

Hey Good Lookin' : Hank Williams

I Walk The Line : Johnny Cash

I've Been Everywhere : Hank Snow

King of the Road : Roger Miller

Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys : Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson

Me And Bobby McGee : Janis Joplin

Midnight Rider : The Allman Brothers

On the Road Again : Canned Heat

Sixteen Tons : Tennessee Ernie Ford

Sweet Home Alabama : Lynyrd Skynyrd

These Boots Are Made For Walking : Loretta Lynn

Truckin' : Grateful Dead

Up On Cripple Creek : The Band

Walkin' After Midnight : Patsy Cline

Woody's Roundup : Riders In The Sky

Listen here.

Something else to make and give... I wish that I had more to say about these cookies - some sort of historical context about my life. But all I can tell you is that they are the best shortbread cookies I've ever eaten. That will have to do.

PECAN SHORTBREAD DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE (& sprinkled with Sea Salt)

Makes 3 dz cookies.

1 1/2 c. butter

2/3 c. sugar

2 t. vanilla

2 c. flour

5 T. cornstarch

1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

2 1/2 c. finely ground pecans

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

1 T. olive oil

sea salt

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit two baking sheets. Flour one lightly and set both aside.

Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt together - then add slowly to the butter mixture until thoroughly incorporated. Add 1 cup of the ground pecans to the batter and continue to mix. Scrape the dough out onto your prepared floured baking sheet. Using you hands to shape the dough into a long brick about 2-3 inches high and 10-12 inches long. Cover the dough and baking sheet with saran wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325F.

 

Using a knife or dough scraper, cut the dough into 1/2 inch slabs and place them on your second baking sheet - they can be placed fairly close together as this dough does not spread. Bake for 20-22 minutes - until the cookies turn gold on the edges. Let cool 20 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. 

 

It's best to wait overnight to the shortbread to harden a bit before dipping - if you are in a hurry, give the cookies at least 3 hours. Put the other 1 1/2 c. of ground pecans in a shallow, open bowl. Prepare a small bowl of sea salt. When you are ready to dip, melt the chocolate slowly in a small saucepan over low heat stirring constantely to prevent scorching. Add the olive oil and whisk it in until the chocolate is smooth. Dip each long end of the cooking into the warm chocolate, scrapping any excess off on the sides of the bowl, then dip into the ground pecans until the chocolate is covered. Set down on a prepared piece of parchment paper and sprinkle the chocolate/pecan section of the cookie very lightly with sea salt. Continue until all cookies have been dipped. Let set for at least a few hours - until the chocolate is no longer soft, before packaging.

 

I love the idea of giving mugs to close friends. Really special, handmade ones so that every time your friend sips from their coffee or tea, you are with them. A wonderful extra little touch is sliding a half dozen of these cookies into the mug before wrapping - a delicious little surprise...

 

Back soon with one more make & give recipe and a playlist to close out the week. Have a lovely day!

 

Good day friends. Now that my minimal holiday shopping is out of the way, I can focus on the fun part - making & baking. The rest of this week, I will be posting ideas to make & give featuring easy to follow recipes and packaging ideas. Up first... Biscotti.

As a kid, I never really liked Biscotti, I always preferred a softer, chewier cookie. Then I discovered cappuccino in my early twenties while living in Italy. For a number of years I lived on a little island anchored off the coast of Northern Sardinia called La Maddalena. Moving there was my first experience with Italian culture and I fell helplessly in love - with the country, the food and eventually, my husband. And dunking long, crispy cookies into perfect pillows of milk and liquid gold. I spent mornings waiting for the boat that would take me to yet another little island for work, savoring my morning ritual while surrounded by men throwing back countless espressos. This crunchy love has remained one of my go-to recipes and I've been making and giving them for many years now.  I hope you enjoy!

p.s. For a variation, see my recipe back in 2008 on Design*Sponge.

 

DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE & ROASTED-ALMOND BISCOTTI

Makes 2 dozen.

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. olive oil

2 eggs

2 t. almond extract

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1/4 t. salt

1 1/2 t. baking powder

2 c. flour

1 c. almonds (sliced and roasted)

1 c. chocolate chips (ground)

Preheat over to 350F.

Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together sugar, olive oil, eggs and almond extract. Once everything is thoroughly mixed, whisk in the cocoa. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder and add to the wet ingredients. At this point the batter is fairly stiff and it's best to use the paddle attachment of a stand mixer to beat the final ingredients, the almonds and chocolate chips, so that they are fully incorporated.

 

Scrape the dough out onto the prepared baking sheet and shape into a long flat log approximately 15 inches long and 5-6 inches wide. If you have smaller baking sheets, you can divide the dough in half and create two logs. Place the sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Prepare another baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

 

Remove from the oven and let cool a minimum of 20 minutes. Carefully, using a serrated knife, cut the log into slices as illustrated. Place each cookie down on your new baking sheet. Once the entire log has been sliced, bake the cookies for 7 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes then carefully turn each cookie over to it's opposite side and bake additional 7 minutes. Let cool completely before packaging.

 

I tend to make ours really long and they are a perfect fit for the 2-quart mason jars. I finished ours with a glittery snowflake. And below... a playlist. Of course.

 

LA DOLCE LUCE

Ore D'Amore : Mike Patton

Wandering Kind : Laura Veirs

Step Into the Light : The Clientele

Love and Happiness : Al Green

Golden Years : David Bowie

The Ship Was Built To Last: The Duke Spirit

Dive In : The Horrors

No Man Is An Archipelago : British Sea Power

Blue Blue Ocean : Echo and The Bunnymen

Rome : Phoenix

Listen here.

 

Today I would like to share a new feature on Nectar, "Be My Guest". Every once in a while I will invite one of my favorite foodies to share a favorite seasonal recipe and a favorite playlist (favoite is one of my favorite words by the way). Our first guest is not only an amazingly talented photographer, she is also a very good friend. I've known Jen online for several years, but we became close when we moved to Brooklyn. She photographs with passion and soul and has transformed the way we look at artisans with her incredibly beautiful The Makers Project. 

 

Jen says: "Growing up, every winter, my dad would make a batch of his famous Hot Buttered Rum. He was usually strictly a beer man, but that would change during the colder months. He would make a large batch of the hot buttered batter and store it in the freezer, taking it out to indulge on the coldest of nights. I always thought the idea of drinking hot butter was awful and didn't join in these festivities, until last year, that is.  For some reason, last winter when I was visiting, the smell of the hot butter got to me. It smelled delicious. I decided to try a sip of the concoction. Wow-it was amazing! It was very decedent, and only to be enjoyed on the rare occasion and on the coldest of the cold nights.

This year I decided to put my own spin on it and add a bit of maple and ginger syrup, two of my favorite winter flavors. This will make a batch large enough to share a few drinks with friends, but not too large as to over-indulge." 

MAPLE GINGER HOT BUTTERED RUM

1 c. sugar

¾ c. pure maple syrup 

2 c. brown sugar

2 cups butter

4 cups vanilla ice cream

2 Tbs Morris Kitchen ginger syrup (optional)

rum

water

nutmeg

Combine sugar, maple syrup, brown sugar, ginger syrup and butter in a 2-quart saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted (6-8 min). 

Combine cooked mixture with ice cream in a large mixing bowl, and whisk until smooth (1-2 min). Store refrigerated up to 2 weeks or frozen up to one month.

For each serving, fill one-quarter of a mug with mixture, add one ounce (or more) rum and three-quarters of a cup of boiling water. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

"Best when enjoyed listening to my mix for a cold winter’s night..." - Jen Causey

 

SONGS FOR A COLD WINTER NIGHT

One Day : Sharon Van Etten

White Winter Hymnal : Fleet Foxes

Reason To Believe : Bruce Springsteen

Howlin' For You : The Black Keys

Red, Red : Doug Burr

If You Need Me : The Rolling Stones

January Hymn : The Decemberists

Look at Miss Ohio : Gillian Welch

Terrible Love : The National

I Can See The Pines Are Dancing : AA Bondy

Come Talk To Me : Bon Iver

Listen here.

*All photos by Jen Causey.

Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and music with us Jen! Look for our next guest in the New Year!

The new issue of RUE really put me in the holiday spirit and I thought I would put together a little list of some of my favorite things around the kitchen this year. And a holiday playlist to put you in the mood as you surf the snow-crested waves of the internet...

MARSHMALLOW WORLD

Let It Snow! : Les Brown & His Band

Baby, It's Cold Outside : Ann-Margaret

I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm : Dean Martin

Winter Time : Steve Miller Band

Fairytale of New York : The Pouges

Little Saint Nick : The Beach Boys

Ring Those Christmas Bells : Peggy Lee

2000 Miles : Pretenders

Chanukah Song : Adam Sandler

Swingle Jingle : Lionel Hampton

Santa Baby : Eartha Kitt

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus : The Ronettes

Marshmallow World : Darlene Love

This Year's Kisses : Nina Simone

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? : Nancy Wilson

Listen here.

 

Like most writers, I love being surrounded by my books - their comforting presence is in every room. Here is a list of some wonderfully unusual and beautiful cookbooks for the book lover and cook on every list...

~ The photographs alone put Quay: Food Inspired by Nature at the top of this list.

~ I peeked at They Draw And Cook in the bookstore this week - I love the combination of illustrations and recipes so much.

~ A pretty penny (or several hundred) but it looks so fascinating and Taschen can do no wrong: Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking.

~ When I first started really learning to cook in my early twenties, the CIA's The Professional Chef was gifted to me and it's since become my kitchen bible.

~ I LOVE Sweet Myrtle & Bitter Honey - we've made a lot of the recipes and it always transports us to our little apartment in Palau, Sardinia.

~ Larousse Gastronomique is another classic and has been on my wishlist for nearly 15 years.

~ I would buy Flavour Thesaurus for the cover alone.

 

More ideas... food and goodies...

~ We love our Bialetti's - we even travel with them. Den prefers espresso so he has this, and I prefer cappuccino's so I use this one.

~ I have a huge crush on this measuring jug.

~ When we attended the Indie Craft Parade in Greenville, SC this fall, we discovered, then immediately fell in love with Sweeteeth. Peanut Butter & Chiplote is my favorite.

~ Only a few more days to get your order in with my friends Jenna and Mark - the marshmallows are to DIE for.

~ Last year my mom sent us a Zingerman's Olive Oil Cake. I think I ate the whole thing in a closet so I didn't have to share.

~ The label will get me everytime and this Tequlia is no exception.

~ Love the tea towels {and clutches} from Hammocks & High Tea.

~ I heart paper straws.

~ And these gold brushed bowls are seriously worthy of giving.

But the best? The best is to make something with your hands, your heart and happiness. You could try my Rosemary & Wine Applesauce or Rosemary & Honey Simple Syrup!

Have a wonderful weekend!

I'm so proud to be a part of the family at RUE Magazine and the holiday issue KILLS it - it's so over the top beautiful. My girl Marissa's recipes in this issue are so, so, delicious - I know, because after I recreated them for the shoot, we ate with abandon. And I have to tell you, I've never eaten a brussel sprout in my entire life, my mother never liked them so we never were put through that form of torture. But oh these - oh these brussel sprouts are heaven. And the cocktail - oh my goodness! So here we go...

POMEGRANATE HOLIDAY STAR  

(Makes 2 cocktails)

3 ounces vodka

1 ounce Lillet blanc

2 ounces pomegranate syrup* (recipe follows)

2 ounces fresh lemon juice

3 drops of Angostura or old-fashioned bitters

Champagne or prosecco float

Garnish with a sage leaf and 4-5 pomegranate seeds

Pomegranate Syrup

In a small saucepan, add ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water.  Simmer gently until sugar is completely dissolved.  Allow to cool.  In a blender, blend the seeds from ¾ of a pomegranate with the simple syrup.  Strain syrup in a bowl and discard any pith from the seeds.  Transfer syrup to a bottle for pouring.

 

 

BRUSSELS SPROUT SALAD WITH FRESH GRAPES, TOASTED HAZELNUTS, PECORINO ROMANO AND POMEGRANATE VINAIGRETTE

2 lbs Brussels sprouts  (1/3 of them to be quartered and roasted with a tablespoon of olive oil; 1/3 – ends cut off, remove whole leaves, blanch leaves for 10 seconds, set in ice bath, dry and allow to cool; 1/3 to be cleaned and sliced raw super thin– or shaved with a mandolin)

1 small bunch red grapes, halved

¼ - 1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skin removed and lightly crushed/chopped

½ cup fresh grated pecorino Romano

2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

extra drizzle of pomegranate molasses and shaved pecorino Romano for serving

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

1 teaspoon minced shallot

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Place roasted Brussel sprouts on bottom of serving dish, toss remaining ingredients and most of dressing, top with shaved Romano and drizzle remaining dressing over the top before serving.

 

RISOTTO WITH MUSHROOMS, CIPPOLLINI ONIONS & ROASTED CHESTNUTS

½-3/4 pound chestnuts, finely chopped (about 1 cup after roasting and peeling) *see note below

5 1/2 cups low-sodium or homemade chicken, beef or vegetable stock/broth (*the beef stock will give it a richer, deeper flavor or for a vegetarian dish, use vegetable stock)

3 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 cups cippollini onions, thinly sliced

4 cups mixed mushrooms (such as cremini and chanterelle), roughly chopped

4 or 5 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

salt to taste

a good dose of freshly grated black pepper

2 to 3 knobs of unsalted butter

5 to 6 ounces of grated Parmesan or grana padano cheese, plus more for serving

Preheat oven to 400F.  Using a sharp knife, make a large ‘X’ on one side of the chestnuts so skin will be easy to remove after roasting.  Roast for 20 minutes.  Set in a bowl with towel covering chestnuts to keep them warm.  Work with nuts in small batches to remove the shells. Chop chestnuts and set aside.

In a small saucepan, add stock/broth and keep warm over low heat. 

In a large, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté onions over medium heat until softened and golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.   While onions are sautéing, add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet.  Saute mushrooms, chestnuts and thyme until softened, 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat.  Set aside.

Add rice to the onions and saute 5 minutes until glossy.   Add 1 cup of stock to rice and stir continuously until well-absorbed.  Continue to add 1/2 cup of stock at a time, stirring until absorbed.  Add in mushrooms-chestnut mix at the mid-way point, after 3 cups of stock have been added.  After all stock and wine has been added, add salt, pepper, butter and half of the Parmesan or grana padano.  Stir until well-blended and then add remaining grated cheese.  Serve with additional cheese.  

Text and recipes by Marissa Lippert; photos by me.