In A Nutshell

This salad comes from Food & Wine magazine; you need a flat grill pan with holes in it in order to grill the onions and broccoli. If you don't have that, you can always roast the broccoli in the oven at a high temperature until it's nice and charred along with the onion. This salad is best eaten the same day as the tomatoes do not age well in the refrigerator. You can, however, grill the broccoli and onion the day before to get a head start. 2 large heads of broccoli (about 2 lbs), cut into pieces 1 large red onion, cut crosswise into thick slices 1 lb tomatoes, cut into 1" chunks (I used the brown tomatoes from the store since there are no garden tomatoes yet and these seem to have the most flavor) 2 T extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling over the broccoli and red onion 2 1/2 T red wine vinegar kosher salt and pepper grated or shaved ricotta salata (or any other grated or shaved cheese you like) Heat your grill; drizzle the onions and broccoli w...

The idea for this came from the Rachel Ray magazine in a segment about chicken salads; I roasted 2 chickens the other day and we only ate one so I decided it would be a good time to try out this salad. It was terrific! So far, my favorite chicken salad ever!!! You can eat it on a pita or naan if you want to have it more like a sandwich. white meat from one roasted chicken, diced 6 radishes, halved and sliced thin 2 Persian cucumbers, halved and sliced 1/2 red onion, small diced 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed chopped cilantro 4 T extra-virgin olive oil 4 T lemon juice 1 t honey 1/4 t sumac 1/2 t salt 1/2 t cumin freshly ground pepper Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, sumac, salt, cumin and pepper with a little whisk. Add the red onion and let this sit while you prepare the rest of the salad to mellow out the onion. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour the dressing over the chicken mixture. If you want to have it as a sandwich, heat a large fry...

This is a fresh spring pasta that can easily be made vegetarian by leaving out the pancetta. It comes from Bon Appetit magazine. 12 oz. fettuccine 4 oz. pancetta, chopped 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1" pieces 2 cups green peas (I used frozen and let them thaw) 1 bunch green onions, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1/2 cup grated parmesan plus more for serving 1/3 cup heavy cream 3 T EVOO 3 T lemon juice 1 T grated lemon zest chopped parsley crushed red pepper Cook pasta according to package directions, saving 1/2 cup pasta water. While the pasta is cooking, cook pancetta in a large skillet until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon onto a paper-towel lined bowl to drain. Add the olive oil, garlic and a pinch of crushed red pepper to the skillet and saute the asparagus in that mixture for about 5 minutes; add about 1/4 cup water to the pan over high heat and cover to allow the asparagus to steam for a couple of minutes. Add the peas and green onions when the water ha...

This is inspired by a Bobby Flay cocktail recipe; it combines my undying love for anything strawberry-rhubarb with my love for cocktails. To my delight, I had found rhubarb bitters at Binny's and determined that I must devote myself to finding a use for it-- so here is one... I hope to find more. For the Rhubarb Syrup : 1 lb rhubarb, sliced 1 cup strawberries, halved 1 cup sugar 1 cup water Bring all the ingredients to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Cover and let steep for 1 hour. Strain the mixture through a sieve, pressing against solids and let it cool completely. For the Cocktail : 1 cup white tequila 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 2 T freshly squeezed orange juice 2 T Cointreau 3/4 to 1 cup rhubarb syrup  (start with less and see if you want it sweeter) egg whites (one per shaker full) rhubarb bitters Combine tequila, lime juice, orange juice, Cointreau and rhubarb syrup in a small pitcher. Fill a large cocktail shaker with ice and pour in the cocktail base (...

Saveur did a great theme in their June/July 2013 issue called "Keepers of the Flame"; it's all about various grilling customs in different countries. This recipe is Turkish. I served this with a cucumber salad and rice. It does also call for 2 T of dried mint which I left out but if you like mint feel free to add it to the marinade. 1/2 cup olive oil 1 T lemon juice 1 t crushed red chili flakes 1 T Aleppo pepper flakes 1 T tomato paste pinch of thyme 1 t freshly ground black pepper 1 t salt 1 t Turkish seasoning (from Penzey's Spices) 4 boneless chicken breasts (or you can use thighs if you prefer), cut into chunks Mix all the ingredients and add the chicken cubes. Allow to marinate overnight or at least several hours. Thread onto skewers (I like to use flat metal skewers) and grill over high heat for about 4-5 minutes per side.

This recipe comes from Bon Appetit; I'm not very good at making pretty rows of strawberries but it  ends up looking pretty nice even so. Put the strawberries on right before serving (no more than 1 or 2 hours before) otherwise they release their juices and make the tart watery. This is one of the best flavor combinations ever! For the crust : 1 cup flour 3 T sugar 1/4 t salt 1/3 cup walnuts 1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes 2 egg yolks plus 1 T water 1/3 cup strawberry jam In the food processor, combine all the dry ingredients; add butter and pulse until looks like coarse meal. Add the yolks and pulse until moist clumps form. Gather dough into a disk and chill for 30 minutes. You can either roll it out between two sheets of wax paper or press it into a 9" tart pan with removable bottom. I rolled it out but then it fell apart when I tried to transfer it into the pan so I ended up having to press it in anyway. Freeze for 15 minutes (or r...

This is a very simple and delicious starter. I happen to have this brand of balsamic vinegar called Napa Valley Harvest that is very thick- more like a syrup and it's perfect here; I find it regularly at T.J. Maxx.  I like to serve this with good baguette or ciabatta slices. burrata cheese strawberries, quartered good quality extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle chiffonade of basil balsamic vinegar to drizzle (preferably syrupy like) Maldon sea salt