July 25, 2001, The New York Times

BRAISED SEA BASS

4 carrots, peeled
2 medium onions
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt
1 stalk celery
1 leek, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1/2 small fennel bulb
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 cup white wine, preferably chardonnay
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup sugar snap peas
4 black sea bass fillets, with skin
Freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives.

1. Slice 2 carrots and one onion. Place in skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil and large pinch salt. Cook over very low heat until soft but not brown, about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile quarter remaining carrots and onion, and place in saucepan. Add half celery stalk, leek, fennel, thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns. Add wine, vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 cup water. Season with salt. Simmer for 25 minutes. Strain, and reserve. You should have about 1 1/2 cups.

3. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil, add sugar snap peas, and blanch one minute. Remove with slotted spoon, rinse under cold water, and drain. Set aside. Thinly slice remaining celery crosswise, add to saucepan, and cook 2 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again.

4. Place a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pat fillets dry. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Place one fillet skin side down in pan, and cook until fillet can be lifted easily with spatula. Press down on fillet as it cooks to minimize curling, and sprinkle flesh side with salt and pepper. Remove fish, and set aside. Repeat with remaining fillets, adding additional oil as needed. Fillets can be set aside for up to two hours.

6. Pour reserved stock mixture into a skillet or casserole large enough to hold fillets in a single layer, bring to a slow simmer, and add fish, skin side up. Add reserved sliced carrots, onions and celery. Gently cook fish and vegetables 3 minutes. Add peas, cook 2 to 3 minutes more, then transfer fish to deep platter. Add lemon juice and remaining olive oil. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce and vegetables around fish, scatter with chives, and serve.

Yield: 4 servings.

August 1, 2001, The New York Times

SUMMER MINESTRONE

1 pound cranberry beans, shelled
1 small red bell pepper
Salt
1/2 pound fava beans, shelled and peeled
1 pound peas, shelled
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut in 1-inch lengths
1/2 pound wax beans, trimmed and cut in 1-inch lengths
1 stalk celery, trimmed
2 leeks, rinsed and trimmed
1 medium onion, peeled
1 small bulb fennel, trimmed
3 medium carrots, peeled
2 medium zucchini
1/2 medium eggplant
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
5 to 6 cups vegetable stock
1 medium head escarole, trimmed and coarsely chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed.

1. Place cranberry beans in a saucepan, add cold water to cover generously and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, blacken skin of pepper over open flame, peel, core, rinse, pat dry and cut in small dice. Set aside.

3. Fill a large bowl with water and plenty of ice. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add fava beans and peas and boil 6 minutes. Add green beans and wax beans, and cook 3 minutes longer. Drain vegetables, and place in ice water. When cold, drain again and set aside.

4. Cut celery, leeks, onion, fennel, carrots, zucchini and eggplant in uniform small dice, keeping vegetables separate.

5. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in an 8- to 10-quart pot. Add garlic and about a third of the celery, leeks, onion, fennel and carrots, taking care to maintain oil at a slow sizzle. Season with salt and pepper. Continue adding these vegetables gradually so oil keeps sizzling, seasoning as you go. When all have been added, continue cooking 3 to 5 minutes.

6. Add zucchini, eggplant and reserved red pepper gradually, so slow cooking in pot is maintained. Keep seasoning with salt and pepper. When all these vegetables have been added, stir in tomato paste and enough stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a simmer.

7. Add escarole, and cook about 6 minutes, until tender. Stir in cranberry beans and thyme. If serving immediately, add fava beans, peas, green beans, wax beans, basil and remaining olive oil. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper if needed. To serve later, fill sink to depth of six inches with cold water and ice, and place pot in sink to stop cooking. When cool, set aside or refrigerate. When ready to serve, add fava beans, peas, green beans and wax beans, basil and remaining olive oil, and reheat to simmer before serving.

Yield: 6 or more servings.

August 8, 2001, The New York Times

STEAMED LEMON PUDDING

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons flour
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
3 eggs, separated
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 pint blueberries, optional
2/3 cup heavy cream, whipped, optional.

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter six four-ounce ramekins or foil muffin cups. Dust each with 1 teaspoon sugar, shaking out any excess.

2. In small bowl, mix remaining sugar with flour and lemon zest. In large bowl, lightly beat egg yolks, and stir in buttermilk and lemon juice.

3. Whip egg whites until softly peaked. Whisk sugar mixture into buttermilk mixture. Fold in beaten egg whites in thirds. Spoon batter into prepared containers. Place in baking pan, and add hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins or tins. Cover pan completely with foil.

4. Bake about 15 minutes, until batter begins to puff. Remove foil, and bake another 15 minutes or so, until tops begin to brown and are springy to touch. A little cracking is fine.

5. Remove from oven, and serve warm. If you make the pudding in advance, allow it to cool to room temperature, and unmold to serve, or reheat in warm water bath, and serve warm. Fresh blueberries and whipped cream can be served alongside.

Yield: 6 servings.

Note: Reusable foil ramekins cost 25 cents at N.Y. Cake and Baking Distributors, 56 West 22nd Street; (800) 942-2539.

August 18, 2001, The New York Times

PESTO

1 large bunch basil
4 cups ice cubes
3 cloves garlic
1 cup Italian extra virgin olive oil
3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

1. Pluck leaves from basil. Discard stems.

2. Place ice cubes in large bowl, add 2 quarts cold water, and place large strainer in bowl so strainer fills with ice water.

3. Bring 3 quarts water to boil in saucepan. Drop in garlic, cook 30 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon. Add basil leaves, cook 15 seconds, then remove with skimmer, and place in ice water. Cool about a minute. Drain well. Squeeze out excess water.

4. Place basil and garlic in food processor, and process until chopped. Transfer to blender and process at high speed, adding olive oil in thin stream while machine is running. Add cheese, and process until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and process briefly.

Yield: 1 cup.

August 22, 2001, The New York Times

BRAISED STUFFED BREAST OF VEAL

1 head garlic
5 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Leaves from 2 large bunches white Swiss chard, rinsed and drained
Salt
1/4 pound prosciutto di Parma
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 whole 10- to 12-pound breast of veal, boned
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 carrots, quartered
2 onions, quartered
1 leek, quartered
1 stalk celery, quartered
12 cups liquid: light veal or chicken stock or water, or a blend
Herbed vinaigrette, salsa verde or aioli, optional.

1. Heat an oven to 450 degrees. Rub the garlic with a little olive oil, wrap in foil and roast until soft, about 30 minutes. Remove the garlic and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan, add the Swiss chard leaves, sprinkle with a little salt, and cook a few minutes, turning with tongs, until wilted. Place in a colander and press out as much liquid as possible.

3. Coarsely chop the Swiss chard. Shred the prosciutto and scatter over the chard. Dust with the cheese and chop ingredients together until the chard is finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Use a sharp knife to remove excess fat from the surface of the veal. With boned side up, lightly score surface of veal in crisscross pattern. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the garlic out of cloves and mash. Spread on the meat. Spread with an even layer of chard mixture. Strew with the thyme and parsley. Tightly roll the slab of veal the long way. Use a butcher's cord to tie the veal at 1 1/2-inch intervals, tucking in any stuffing that oozes out.

5. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large, deep casserole over medium heat. Cut the roast in half or thirds if necessary to fit in the casserole, and lightly brown on all sides, one section at a time. If the pan blackens, wash the casserole after browning the veal.

6. Scatter carrots, onions, leek and celery over the veal in the casserole. Add enough liquid to nearly cover the meat. Bring to simmer on top of stove. Place in the oven and cook 2 1/2 to 3 hours, basting frequently, until the meat is fork-tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in liquid to room temperature.

7. Remove veal from cooking liquid, reserving liquid. Wrap veal in foil; refrigerate overnight.

8. Reduce cooking liquid by half and skim off fat. Strain and freeze for another use.

9. To serve, snip and remove cord from veal. Slice veal. Arrange on platter with vinaigrette, salsa verde or aioli alongside.

Yield: 12 servings.

August 29, 2001, The New York Times

ROASTED SUMMER FRUIT

1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
4 ripe but firm large yellow peaches, halved and pitted (8 firm apricots, 8 firm Italian prune plums, 4 firm nectarines or 4 large, firm Pluot plums may be substituted)
4 sprigs fresh lavender, basil, lemon verbena or mint
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 tablespoon heavy cream
Vanilla ice cream for serving (optional).

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place sugar in 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet. Drizzle with syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture liquefies. Continue cooking until mixture is light caramel color.

2. Place fruit in pan, the cut side down. Top with herbs. Place in oven and bake 5 minutes, until caramel has darkened and fruit is tender but still holds its shape. Use spatula to turn fruit cut side up, return to oven and roast another 3 to 5 minutes, until edges of fruit have browned. Do not cook long enough for fruit to collapse.

3. Remove from oven. Discard herbs. Transfer fruit to serving dish or to individual plates. Lift off skins, if desired, especially from peaches, if thick.

4. Place pan on top of stove, and swirl in butter. Cook a few seconds over low heat. Whisk in cream to make caramel sauce. Pour sauce over and around fruit, and serve warm, with ice cream on the side if desired.

Yield: 4 servings.

August 29, 2001, The New York Times

ROASTED-FRUIT AND BRIOCHE BREAD PUDDING

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
8 roasted peach, nectarine or Pluot halves, or 16 roasted apricot or
plum halves (see recipe), caramel sauce reserved
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split
5 cups crustless brioche in small cubes.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter 8 1-cup ovenproof ramekins, and dust with a little sugar.

2. Place 5 tablespoons sugar in a small nonstick skillet. Drizzle with syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture liquefies. Continue cooking until mixture turns into caramel. Pour caramel into ramekins to coat bottoms.

3. Cut roasted fruit in thick slices, and arrange in bottoms of ramekins.

4. Whisk eggs, egg yolk and remaining sugar in a large bowl. Place cream and milk in a saucepan with vanilla bean, and heat until beginning to bubble around edges. Do not allow to boil. Slowly whisk hot liquid into egg mixture. Add brioche cubes, lightly pressing with back of spoon so they become saturated. Remove vanilla bean. Spoon the soaked brioche into ramekins.

5. Place ramekins in a large baking pan. Add hot water until it comes halfway up sides. Place in oven, and bake until tops of puddings are lightly browned and crusty, about 40 minutes.

6. Run a sharp knife around edges, and unmold puddings onto individual plates. Gently reheat caramel sauce reserved from roasted fruit, whisking, until just warm. Pour around puddings and serve.

Yield: 8 servings.

September 5, 2001, The New York Times

CORN AND SEAFOOD CHOWDER

6 ears corn
4 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces lean slab bacon, finely diced
1 cup finely diced onion
2 medium leeks, white part only, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and finely diced
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups small chanterelles, about 5 ounces, stems scraped
3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
6 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 to 1 cup chicken stock (optional)
1 pound peeky-toe crab meat, jumbo lump crab meat or diced lobster meat or a mixture.

1. Strip kernels from cobs, and reserve. Place cobs in a saucepan with cream, bring to a boil, and set aside to cool.

2. Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Add bacon, and saute over medium heat until it barely begins to brown. Stir in onion, leeks and celery. Saute until translucent. Add potatoes, and stir. Remove cobs from cream, strain cream, and add to saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Add corn kernels. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet. Add chanterelles, and saute over medium-low heat until tender but not browned. Add to soup. Add caraway seeds, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Thin soup with chicken stock if desired.

4. Just before serving, melt remaining butter in a small skillet, add crabmeat or lobster, and warm in butter. Put in soup plates or add to soup. Bring soup to a simmer, check seasonings, and serve.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Craft: Notes and Recipes from a Restaurant Kitchen

Porcini Risotto

9 cups chicken stock
1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese to taste

1. Bring 1 cup of the chicken stock to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms. Remove from the heat and set the mushrooms aside until they soften. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the stock. Strain the reserved stock through a fine strainer, then finely chop the mushrooms. Add the chopped mushrooms to the mushroom-flavored stock.

2. Bring the remaining 8 cups of chicken stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Allow the stock to reduce by about 1 cup, then keep warm over low heat.

3. Combine the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large, high-sided skillet. Heat over medium heat until the butter foams. Add the onion and cook until it is translucent, about 15 minutes. Stir in the rice, thoroughly coating it with the onion, butter, and oil. Cook the rice until it is no longer chalky looking and begins to pop, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer, stirring constantly until it has evaporated.

4. Add 1 cup of the warm chicken stock. Simmer, stirring, until the rice is almost dry. Repeat twice more. Stir the mushroom-flavored stock into the rice. Cook, stirring, until the rice is dry again.

5. Finish cooking the rice by stirring in enough additional warm chicken stock, a cup at a time, so the rice is just barely tender. Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and add cheese to taste.

Serves 6

Tastes of Summer 2002, New York Magazine

Peach Upside-Down Cake

Caramel
6 tablespoons butter plus additional for the pan
1 cup sugar
4 to 6 fresh peaches, halved and pitted (nectarines, apricots, or plums can be substituted)

Butter a 10-inch cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, and butter the paper. Place 2 tablespoons water and sugar in a saucepan, and stir together. Cook over high heat, swirling the pan (do not stir), until the mixture turns a golden caramel color. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in the butter (be careful; the mixture will foam). Pour the caramel into the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with the peach halves, cut-side-down.

Cake
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the sugar and melted butter to the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and beat until combined. Add eggs, and whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the buttermilk and vanilla extract together. With mixer set on low speed, add the dry ingredients by thirds, alternating with the liquid ingredients, to the butter mixture. When it's all fully blended, pour the batter into the pan over the peaches and bake, rotating it front-to-back after the first 15 minutes, for about 50 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and springy to the touch. Remove from the and allow to sit for about 10 minutes before inverting onto a platter.

Makes a 10-inch cake, serving 6 to 8

Craft: Notes and Recipes from a Restaurant Kitchen

Coconut Panna Cotta

1 1/4 ounce packet of powdered gelatin
2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
13.5 ounces unsweetened coconut milk (1 can)

Sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup of the milk and set aside for 10 minutes. Combine the remaining 1 3/4 cup milk, the sugar and the salt in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk first the gelatin mixture then the coconut milk into the pan. Strain the panna cotta mixture through a fine sieve then pour it into eight 4-ounce ramekins or coffee cups; chill overnight. The panna cotta can be served as is or unmolded (run a warm knife around the edge of each, then turn onto chilled plate. Serve with Passion Fruit Sauce.

Serves 8.

Holiday Entertainment 2002, New York Magazine

Linzer Cookies

6 ounces (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
Zest of 1 lemon, grated fine
Zest of 2 oranges, grated fine
1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for board and rolling pin
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks
1 and 1/2 cups finely ground almonds (almond flour, or blanched almonds pulsed in a food processor until very fine)
1 cup raspberry preserves

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Beat butter, sugar, and zests in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at medium speed until they are smooth. Sift together flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Add the yolks to the mixer bowl, and beat until they are incorporated. Reduce the speed, and slowly add the dry mixture, then the ground almonds, beating until they're incorporated. Turn the dough out onto the counter, form it into a ball, cut in half, wrap each half in plastic, and chill until firm, about 1 hour. (The dough will keep for 3 days at this stage, and can be frozen for 1 month.)

3. Flour the board and rolling pin, and roll out half the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut the cookies into desired shapes using a 11/2-inch-diameter cutter. Cut 1/2-inch holes in the centers of half the cookies. Transfer the cookies to prepared cookie sheets with a spatula, and chill them for 30 minutes.

4. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack. Once they've cooled, sprinkle the cookies that have cutouts with confectioners' sugar. Spoon a little raspberry preserves on each of the solid cookies, and top each with a powdered cookie.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen.

Holiday Entertainment 2002, New York Magazine

Gingersnaps

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for board and rolling pin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces (1 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 egg
Decoration: Gold dragées or granulated sugar

1. Sift together flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Beat butter, sugar, molasses, and ginger in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at medium speed until it's smooth. Add the egg, beat until combined, and gradually beat in dry ingredients. Form dough into a ball, cut in half, wrap each half in plastic, and chill overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour the work surface and rolling pin, and roll out the dough in batches to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut the cookies into desired shapes. Transfer them to cookie sheets with a thin spatula. Sprinkle with sugar or decorate with gold dragées, and chill 30 minutes. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. They will crisp as they cool.