Nectar

I hope you had a beautiful holiday and a joyous New Year!

I forgot my camera card reader, thus no posts while I was away. But it was, in the end, a blessing. I truly unplugged which is so hard for me to do. The time we spend on Cape Hatteras is always restorative and inspirational. The salty sea air helps clear my mind and see things anew - I find it especially powerful to spend the New Year there - and this year, like last - we greeted the year at the water's edge under a black diamond sky.

 

I know one of reasons I'm so drawn to that place is that I lived there as a child. My father was stationed at a small base a stones throw from the lighthouse's original location. Though I have little memory of this time, I've grown up with images of my mother and I fishing on these beaches and the lighthouse has become one of the symbols of my early adolescences. The fact that we've started to spend time there, that I am creating new traditions and images of my own daughters and that magical beacon - well, it makes my heart kind of swell.

 

One of our favorite traditions is to visit Cafe 12 in Avon for the Hatteras Flats. The Flats are said to have been invented here and are basically flatbread pizzas - but here's the kicker - instead of a traditional crust - the base is baked cheese. Yes, seriously. You can top them with everything; I played with it a bit and came up with a combination of flavors we love - I used a mix of Gouda and Mozzarella as the base - if you're looking for a crispier crust, try Parmesan or Asiago.

HATTERAS FLAT 

2 c. gouda (shredded)

3/4 c. mozzarella (shredded)

1 dz. large shrimp (peeled, devined, tails on)

1 garlic clove (minced)

1/4 c. chopped chives

5 baby bello mushrooms (sliced)

olive oil

red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

handful of roughly chopped cilantro

 

Preheat oven to 425F.

On a baking sheet with parchment paper, create a flat circle about 10-12 inches across with 1c. gouda and the mozzarella - it's okay if there are holes as when the cheese melts it will spread. Bake for 5 minutes - then remove from the oven. Turn oven down to 350F.

Sauté the shrimp in the olive oil and garlic with a bit of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (to your taste) - sauté the mushrooms in another small pan with olive oil, salt and pepper. When the shrimp is almost thoroughly cooked, place them on the baked cheese, top with about 1/4c. of gouda, mushrooms and chives, then top with remaining cheese. Bake 5 minutes, let cool slightly - sprinkle with chopped cilantro and slice like a pizza and enjoy.

 

And to drink... a new discovery on the islands this year at lunch on Ocracoke of ghost wings and fried oyster po'boys - was Duck-Rabbit beer - I'm now obsessed - find it if you can!

Heading out to Singapore on Wednesday to photograph a wedding - I have a little bit of time to myself in the city and I look forward to exploring the hawker's markets... and of course sharing them with you upon my return! See you soon...

THE CAPE

Mo Ghile Mear : The Chieftains w/ Sting

Little Black Submarines : The Black Keys

Softship : Seabear

Piratess : Okkervil River

Knight of Wands : Au Revoir Simone

Swim Until You Can't See Land : Frightened Rabbit

The Foggy Dew : The Chieftains

River, Sea, Ocean : Badly Drawn Boy

I Follow Rivers : Lykke Li

Surfin' Bird : The Cramps

Under The Cover of Darkness : The Strokes

Winter Dies : Midlake

Tide : Junip

Listen here. 

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.

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.

Happy Almost Turkey Day! I'm so, SO grateful for my blessed life. For my beautiful family, our health, our happiness, our love, our friends. This year I'm especially grateful to spend the holiday at my brother's home in Eastern North Carolina - to not have him deployed during this time of year is a rare treat and we will descend upon his home with arms full of love. And this cranberry sauce. I came upon this recipe at least 7-8 years ago in Bon Appetit and have changed it a bit over the years until it's really right were we want it. This year, after cooking the cranberries, I drained the excess syrup into a bowl before adding the shallots to the cranberries. The syrup will likely find it's way into cocktails and drizzled over pancakes this weekend...

 

PORT CRANBERRIES WITH BALSAMIC SHALLOTS

3 c. peeled and chopped and separated shallots

1 T. balsamic vinegar

1 T. olive oil

salt & pepper

1 1/2c. fresh cranberries (rinsed)

1 c. orange juice

1/2 c. port wine

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. honey

1/2 t. thyme

 

Preheat oven to 375F. In a mixing bowl, toss the shallots in the balsamic vinegar and olive oil, salt & pepper and pour onto a prepared baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes for until the balsamic begins to caramelize the shallots. Pull from oven and set aside.

In a large sauce pan, combine the orange juice, port, sugar, honey and thyme - stir over medium heat until the sugar and honey have dissolved. Add the cranberries and stir until all of the berries are coated. Cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring often. When the cranberries begin to pop open and soften they are getting close. If you like a well-formed cranberry in your sauce, you can pull it off the heat once all of the cranberries have popped open, otherwise, continue to cook on medium-low heat for another 20 minutes. Drain the sauce off into a bowl and jar for future use as mentioned above. Mix the shallots into your sauce and let cool, then refrigerate until you are ready to serve. This sauce only gets better with time so make it a couple days ahead of time!

 

A little something for your weekend...

BLACK FRIDAY

Fixin' To Thrill : Drangonette

Listen Up! : Gossip

London Girls : The Vibrators

More Than Ever : Zoot Woman

I Don't Like Your Band : Annie

You Gotta' Teller : Zeus

Mission : Van She

Fake Gold : Tiger City

My Girl Is Calling Me : Chromeo

Life Ater Sundown : Glass Candy

One Minute to Midnight : Justice

TKO : Le Tigre

Oh You, Old Thing : Wolf Parade

Wild Eyes : Vivian Girls

Creator (Vs. Switch & FreQ Nasty) : Santogold

Listen here.

See you next week.

So happy you loved the Penne n' Cheese from last week - there are so many ways you can make that recipe your own - we do a LOT of pasta in this house and I am always trying to come up with ways to make it new again. But we'll get into more pasta soon - today is about soup! My mom made a lot of soup for us growing up, but I never loved it. To clarify - I now love my mom's soups and probably would have then if I did not have some sort of mental block against them. I really can't explain it - I just decided one day that I didn't like soup and that was that. I suppose then I should not have been surprised when Adie claimed out of the blue about two years ago she no longer wanted to eat pizza. Thankfully, she has recently revisited the idea and has come around.

And I too revisited soups at some point in my mid-twenties and learned that I do in fact love them. It was a divine lobster bisque - bordering on a religious experience - that brought me back and I still prefer my soups thick and creamy. This Sweet Potato & Ale Soup is a favorite - the pureed sweet potatoes thicken it up beautifully and the cream cheese adds depth and keeps it creamy.

 

SWEET POTATO & ALE SOUP

There are a few steps here and I thought it easiest to break up the ingredients accordingly... we make ours in a slow cooker, but you can adapt this for a pot on the stove as well.

Also, I am sure you'll notice that we use a lot of organic ingredients. We do this as much as our budget allows and try to always use organic chicken, natural pork, grass-fed beef and organic cage free eggs. It's just a few step we are taking in trying to educate our children about where their food comes from.

4c. organic chicken broth

1 bottle of brown ale

2 lbs. organic skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Set your slow cooker to 'Low' and add the stock, ale and whole breasts to the pot. If you are starting this in the morning, you can even use the chicken frozen. If you are starting this later in the afternoon, ensure the chicken is defrosted and set the slow cooker to Medium or High. Cover and let cook. If defrosted, the chicken should be thoroughly cooked in about 2 hours - if frozen, closer to 3 hours.

2T butter

1T olive oil

1/2 lb. carrots (peeled and sliced into rounds)

1 medium white onion (chopped)

1 t. dry rosemary

1/2 t. cinnamon

salt and pepper

In a heavy skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots, and cook, stirring every so often for about 5 minutes. Stir in the rosemary, cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste. Once the onions are semi-translucent and the carrots are soft, remove from the heat and set aside.

 

3 large sweet potatoes (skins peeled, chopped)

3 T butter

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. cloves

1/4 t. pepper

16 oz. cream cheese

_____

1/4c. half & half

1 T rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

Once you have peeled and roughly chopped the sweet potatoes, add them to a large bowl of boiling water and cook until they are soft - about 20-30 minutes. Drain them and add them to a food processor, with the cream cheese, cinnamon, cloves and pepper. Depending on the size of your processor, you may have to do this in two batches. Once everything is combined, set this aside for a moment.

When the chicken is cooked, pull it out of the stock and chop it up into bite-size pieces. Before returning it to the pot, whisk in your sweet potato and cream cheese mixture, half & half and rosemary. Whisk gently until it's thoroughly combined. At this point, add the carrots and onions as well as the chopped chicken. Stir gently and let cook for another 30 minutes to an hour before serving. Salt and pepper to taste. 

 

And an autumn playlist we listened to at diiner... for your pleasure...

AUTUMN

Season of the Witch : Donovan

Becasue the Night : Patti Smith

Nightcrawlers : Widowspeak

This Modern Love : Bloc Party

Superstar : Sonic Youth

(Don't Fear) The Reaper : Blue Oyster Cult

The Long Black Veil : The Chieftains w/ Mick Jagger

Shadows Fall : The Coral

The Prowl: : Dan Auerbach

Open Hands : The Orphan

Vikings : The Black Angels

We Go : Thao w/ The Get Down Stay Down

Can't You Tell : Vetiver

Listen here.

Today I would like to share a recipe that we make once a week or so. It's a creamy penne & cheese - just like mac n' cheese, but we prefer the penne noodles. What I love about making this from scratch is that it's so easy to modify and super quick to create. I do admit to falling into the trap of the boxed variety from time to time - our favorite is Annie's and the girls love the bunny shaped noodles - but those occasions are usually on late soccer nights or more often when Den is working out of town and I'm just out of steam at the end of the day. With the days shorter and darkness blanketing our landscape at five o'clock, I'm craving warm, savory dinners that are quick. It's also a wonderful weekend treat for the girls. We try to make it from scratch as often as possible and this is my favorite combination of cheeses...

 

PENNE N' CHEESE

1 lb. penne noodles (we love the organic Lensi brand - the noodles are hardy and delicious)

8 oz. freshly shredded gouda

8 oz. cream cheese

4 oz. feta

1/2 c. skim milk

3/4 c. half + half

salt and pepper

bunch of chives

Heat the water in a large pasta pot. If you are in a hurry, it boils much faster if you add hot water to the pot. When it comes to a boil add a generous amount of sea salt to the water and cook the pasta as per the instructions on the packet.

In the meantime, in a smaller pot, heat the milk and half+half until it begins a gentle boil - stirring often to prevent the milk from burning. Add all of the cheese and stir until the sauce is completely smooth. Turn the heat down to low and stir occasionally until the pasta is ready.

When the pasta is finished, drain off the water and return the penne to the pot. Pour the sauce over the pasta, add enough pepper to please you, and mix thoroughly. Plate immediately and garnish with chopped chives.

 

Have a wonderful weekend - we are heading up north early tomorrow morning to spend a long weekend with Den's sister and her beautiful family. The girls adore their cousins so they are bouncing off the walls with excitement. I'll see you next week and I leave you with something to help you get through... 

WEEKEND VOL. I

Get Some : Lykke Li

Abducted : Cults

Wucan : Black Mountain

Are Friends Electric : The Dead Weather

White Feather : Wolfmother

Brand New Cadillac : The Clash

Beat The Devil's Tattoo : Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Warpaint : Warpaint

Blood : Band of Skulls

Vaporize : Broken Bells

Bodies : Danzig

Safe Word : Vampire Hands

London Dungeon : The Misfits

Sweet Child O' Mine : Guns N' Roses

Tape Song : The Kills

The Pendulum : The Ettes

New Age : Sleepy Sun

Fever : The Cramps

You can listen to the playlist here.

While Fall is here to stay in the Northern Hemisphere, our good friends Down Under are warming up for summer love. And yes, I'm a little jealous. This menu, featured in the July/August issue of RUE rocked our world. I did all the prep work and made the salad, Den grilled the shrimp, and the girls ate it so fast they left little for us! If you reside in a warm climate this is a MUST - an ASAP must. While the watermelon may be a bit harder to come by right now for many of us, file this for summer - grilled watermelon is my new ambrosia.

 

TURKISH SHRIMP & VEGETABLE KEBABS

1 1/2 lbs large wild-caught shrimp, peeled
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Turkish baharat kebab spice blend 
1 zucchini, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 large red onion, sliced into thick half-moons
8-10 button mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
additional olive oil for brushing
8 to 10 metal or bamboo skewers *soak bamboo skewers first so they don't burn

Cacik

5 oz 2% Greek yogurt
1/2 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 cucumber, finely grated

Toasted Pita with Za'atar 

4 pitas
extra virgin olive oil for brushing
za’atar spice *za'atar is a ubiquitous Middle Eastern spice blend of sumac, thyme and sesame seeds that can be used on virtually anything and everything from pita, vegetables, fish, poultry and more.  

GRILLED WATERMELON SALAD WITH CUCUMBER, FETA & MINT

½ watermelon, cut into triangular wedges, rind discarded
1 cucumber, diced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 ounces Greek or Bulgarian feta cheese
¼ cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
½ hot red chili, thinly sliced, *if desired
extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
juice of ½ lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
sumac for sprinkling  *sumac is a Mediterranean spice with purple-reddish hue and a tangy, lemony flavor. 

Heat a grill or grill pan on medium-high.  Grill watermelon triangles for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until light grill marks appear. 
Arrange slices on a platter.  Mix remaining ingredients together in a mixing bowl and spoon over top watermelon.  Sprinkle salad with sumac. 

*RECIPES BY MARISSA LIPPERT*

 

 

Hello! After nearly a four year break, I am returning to the world of food blogging. Nectar will be a very personal look at the way one family lives, eats - and rocks out while doing the aforementioned living and eating. I will also feature recipes that I shot for RUE Magazine by my good friend and all around kitchen goddess Marissa Lippert from Nourish NYC. As I feel out the format of how I want the blog to flow and be presented, I hope you enjoy watching the creative process unfold.

To get started, I want share Marissa's amazing menu that was featured in the May/June 2011 issue of RUE. Though the menu was created for Spring, I think the cocktail and lamb are seasonless - lavender can still be found in many natural food markets. Mint is the star here and is featured in each element of the menu. And the cocktail - well I think at this point I can divulge that Marissa and I REALLY enjoyed it and sipping on them post-shoot was the best reward for a morning of hard work.

ROAST LAMB SANDWICH WITH MINT PESTO & PICKLED SHALLOTS

1/2 pound leg of lamb, bone removed
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
mint pesto*
pickled shallots*
pickled jalapeno*
Serve with whole wheat country or ciabatta bread. 
*recipes follow

Mint Pesto

2 cups fresh mint leaves (packed), stems discarded
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
juice of 1 lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Pickled Shallots and Jalapenos

1 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 to 2 jalapenos, seeded and thinly sliced

HOW TO:

Rub lamb with garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or overnight. 

Preheat oven to 350° F.   

On a roasting sheet or in a roasting pan, drizzle lamb with olive oil and roast for 35-45 minutes until the temperature at the thickest part of the leg reaches 135° F for medium-rare.  Remove lamb from oven and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting.

To prepare sandwiches, spread a thin layer of pesto on bread, top with sliced lamb and garnish with pickled shallots and jalapenos.  

Mint Pesto

Add mint through lemon juice in a food processor and slowly drizzle in olive oil while running.  Pesto should be smooth or slightly chunky.

Pickled Shallots and Jalapenos

Bring vinegar, sugar, salt and peppercorns to a boil.  Removed from heat, cool slightly and pour over sliced shallots and jalapeno in two separate bowls.  Cool and refrigerate.  May be made a day ahead.

PROSECCO SPARKLER WITH MINT, LAVENDER AND LEMON

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup mint leaves, loosely packed
3/4 teaspoon dried lavender
3 strips of lemon peel, using a vegetable peeler
1 bottle of Italian prosecco
club soda

In a small saucepan, bring water, sugar, mint, lavender and lemon peel to a simmer until all sugar is dissolved.  Allow to cool and strain syrup through a sieve, discard remaining mint, lavender and lemon peel.  Syrup can be made ahead and refrigerated.  Will last for up to 2 weeks.
Fill small glasses or champagne flutes 2/3 full with prosecco.  Add in 1 to 2 teaspoons of simple syrup depending on desired sweetness.  Top off with club soda and serve. 

*RECIPES BY MARISSA LIPPERT*