lunch special: ribboned asparagus salad

I’ve been eyeing this recipe for ribboned asparagus salad for a while now and decided since I had some extra asparagus in the fridge, there was no better time to try it. What I love about it is it requires no cooking—wait, you do have to roast some pine nuts, but that hardly counts. It does take a little elbow grease, especially if you don’t have a y-peeler, but really, creating those lovely asparagus ribbons isn’t too terrible with a regular vegetable peeler. With a simple toss of lemon juice and olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, pepper, parmesan and pine nuts, lunch was ready.
This was totally different than the asparagus I roasted earlier in the week. Instead of earthy and nutty, the flavor was vibrant and fresh. The lemon juice really brings forth a crispness to the asparagus that’s contrasted by the saltiness of the parmesan and the tender hint of nuttiness that the pine nuts bring. I’ve actually made this a few times, once without the parmesan and I think the parmesan really adds both a great texture and flavor to the salad.
Filed under eat and lunch special and sides by kelly. May 30th, 2011 . 2 Comments

happy hour: rhubarb screwdriver

Alright, we made it. High fives all around! This week was a bit of a doozy, so when I came home last night, I was looking for something simple. I knew I had a bottle of rhubarb syrup in the fridge and a bottle of vodka in the cupboard, the question was, what should be the other ingredient. I could go ginger ale—that would be tasty–but then I remembered that hardcore beverage the screwdriver, simply orange juice and vodka. Orange and rhubarb are delicious together, so I figured why not a rhubarb screwdriver? It’s like the little sister of the screwdriver, a little softer and sweeter, but it has a secret devious side.

Cheers! To all the people who help keep us safe—it is Memorial Day weekend after all. Oh, and to a little extra relaxing, hanging out and all around having fun.

rhubarb screwdriver
makes 1 cocktail

1 oz fresh squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz rhubarb syrup

1
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all the ingredients. Shake for 10 seconds.
2
Strain into a glass filled with ice and enjoy.

To make rhubarb syrup:
Combine 1 cup chopped rhubarb with 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Strain rhubarb from syrup.

Filed under happy hour by kelly. May 27th, 2011 . 5 Comments

asparagus with sesame + soy sauce

Asparagus season is slowly making it’s way to New York and I couldn’t be happier to get something new and green in my kitchen. If you’d have asked me about asparagus a few years ago, I would’ve had a bit of a debbie downer outlook. In my book asparagus lies in a similar category as brussel sprouts: Green and a little smelly paired with not-so-hot childhood memories leads to a bit of a fear factor. But just like brussels, these green stalks have become something to look forward to rather than dread. One of the reasons for my change of heart is this handy chart by Mark Bittman, which cleverly lays out different cooking methods paired with different ingredients.

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Filed under eat and sides by kelly. May 25th, 2011 . 6 Comments

lunch special: mushroom + ricotta toast

Something I’m realizing as I continue to make lunch for myself each Friday is that simple things make me happy. It’s not just the ease of preparing food for myself, but I love how each ingredient carries flavor and mingles with other ingredients to create something unique and fulfilling. I’m not trying to be precious about food, but I do think it’s worth acknowledging how awesome whole foods are.

With a handful of mushrooms leftover from dinner, some unused ricotta calling my name from fridge, and a loaf of bourbon wheat bread on the counter, I dreamt up these little ricotta and mushroom toasts. And like all my lunch escapades, it was easy as can be. I think they’d also make great little hors d’oeuvres for a party, just use smaller slice of bread.

mushroom + ricotta toast
makes 2-3 large slices

5-8 cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 shallot, sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 T olive oil
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
2 slices of bread, preferably a hearty variety
salt and pepper

1
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, then sliced the mushrooms and toss them in.
2
While the mushrooms and onions are cooking, combine the lemon juice and zest with the ricotta and set aside.
3
One the onions are translucent and the mushrooms have softened, add the garlic and sautée for 1-2 more minutes.
4
Just after adding the garlic, put your slices of bread in the toaster.
5
When the bread comes out, just assemble. Place your bread on a plate, spoon the ricotta over each and top with the mushroom and onion mixture. Eat up!

Filed under lunch special by kelly. May 23rd, 2011 . 8 Comments

happy hour: summer nights

This cocktail was created on a whim, using leftover grapefruit juice from another cocktail experiment, paired with maple syrup, rye and orange bitters. It sounds weird, but seriously, it’s so awesome. To make sure I wasn’t losing it, I had Aaron taste it and he was equally as excited about it. Neither of us of huge fans of grapefruit, but the pairing with maple syrup takes the edge off and creates a sort of lightness when paired with rye. I know whiskey is often thought of as a winter liquor, but it’s my favorite spirit so can’t just forget about it during the warm weather days. I imagine this being sipped on those summer nights when there’s a tinge of cool in the air.

Cheers! To trying weird things! Have an excellent weekend!

summer nights
makes 1 cocktail

1 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1/2 oz maple syrup
1 1/2 oz rye (I like Rittenhouse Rye)
dash of orange bitters
grapefruit peel, for garnish

1
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all the ingredients and shake for 10 seconds.
2
Strain into a dainty glass, garnish with grapefruit peel if desired, and sip away.

Filed under happy hour by kelly. May 20th, 2011 . 6 Comments

travel: san francisco + marin county

It’s been a month since Aaron and I took a trip to San Francisco and Marin County and oh how I miss it! It was hands down one of the best vacations we’ve had. Mostly because we really relaxed… something that can sometimes elude us on a vacation. We’re lucky enough to have friends in the area who took good care of us, showing us great little places to eat, drink and just enjoy ourselves. I did my best to capture photos of some of my favorite places, but I wasn’t able to snap a photo of everything so please just trust me when I say… everything below is awesome.

SAN FRANCISCO
I have to admit, this trip was different from the last time we visited San Francisco and ate at Chez Panisse (Berkely, I know) and A-16. We went a little more low-key, off the beaten track this time and had a blast.

shops:

pot + pantry
This new little shop is a must-visit on your next trip. Filled with vintage as new, unique kitchen goods, it’s the kind of place where you want to just move in. Plus, the Donna the shopowner is super sweet.

omnivore books on food
I missed out on this shop last time I visited, so you can bet it was one of the first places we stopped. It was everything I thought it would be and more—every book you could ever imagine about food, new and old, organized in a lovely former butchershop. The owner, Celia, is sweet as can be and is incredibly helpful. I found a few hard-to-find Brit cookbooks and picked up a signed copy of Super Natural Every Day.

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Filed under travel by kelly. May 17th, 2011 . 7 Comments

happy hour: bourbon and orange smash

This week has felt like spring is really here to stay… I love it! There a slight chill in the mornings but then the afternoon brings sun and warmth, the kind that makes it hard to sit still at work, knowing it’s so dang lovely outside. Well, it’s almost the weekend and hopefully you don’t have to be tucked away inside an office. A friend sent me a recipe for this drink, which can be made in bulk, and I think it would be perfect for a backyard barbecue or a sneaky boozy picnic. It’s that dangerous sort of drink that goes down smooth, with just a hint of booziness.

Cheers, to Spring finally sticking around!

orange and bourbon smash
adapted from Real Simple
I’ve included both the original recipe, which is great for a group and my adaptation, for a single, slightly boozier version.

for a single cocktail:
orange zest, about 5 thinly sliced strips
1 teaspoon sugar
dash of angostura bitters
2 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 oz bourbon
2 oz soda water, optional

………………………………………………………………

for a group:
zest of 1 orange, peeled into strips and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sugar (preferably superfine)
1 tablespoon bitters
3 cups fresh orange juice
3 cups club soda
1 1/2 cups bourbon (12 ounces)

1
In a large pitcher or a cocktail shaker (for the single serving), use a wooden spoon to mash the orange zest with the sugar and bitters.
2
Add the orange juice, club soda*, and bourbon and stir to combine.
3
Pour into a glass filled with ice.

*Club soda is optional for the single serve. This can be made up to 6 hours ahead, just reserve the club soda until ready to serve.

Filed under happy hour by kelly. May 13th, 2011 . 4 Comments

lunch special: cauliflower tacos with lime yogurt

This is the lunch that gave me the idea for lunch special. I’d picked up this lovely head of yellow cauliflower and by week’s end it was still sitting in the crisper. In the drawer next to it sat a collection of large tortillas. Since I’m almost always in the mood for tacos, I figured I could fashion a taco with the cauliflower and a few other things I had lying around. I gathered part of a red onion, a pepper and a few cloves of garlic to add to this little lunch time fiesta.

One of the things that made me really happy about making this lunch was the timing of things. Basically, once I chopped something, I tossed it in the pan to cook, so very little time was wasted. I began by chopping the onion because I knew that could handle the heat for a while and it would impart it’s flavor into the rest of the ingredients. Next the pepper went in, followed by the cauliflower. With everything chilling out in the pan, I realized that something creamy would be the perfect way to hold this weird little taco together. I didn’t have any cheese, so into the fridge I went, searching for another lonely ingredient. That’s when I saw a container of Greek yogurt, which I thought, when sprinkled with a little lime zest, would be a great way to add a little pizazz to the tacos.

About 15 minutes after I began, my lunch was ready. As I went to pour the veggies over my tortilla, I had to stop and admire the beauty of this lunch. The colors, yellow, purple and green, were quite stunning… but not stunning enough not to eat. Dang this was tasty! The yogurt brings the perfect amount of bright, citrusy zing to the warm, comfy flavors of the sauteéd vegetables. It was so good in fact, that I made it again the next day.

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Filed under eat and lunch special by kelly. May 9th, 2011 . 7 Comments

happy hour: coconut margarita with salted + toasted coconut flakes

Alright my friends. It’s Cinco de Mayo, which to most Americans means a reason to drink a margarita. In reality, it’s celebrated by a minority of Mexicans, mainly in the Puebla region, as a way to commemorate the 1861 Mexican battle victory over the French. I’m not going to lie, I love any excuse to drink a margarita. So Americanized or not, I’ll surely find a way to have a margarita in hand. This year I’m going for something a little fancy, a coconut margarita rimmed with salted toasted coconut flakes. Yeah, it’s as awesome as it sounds.

So let’s raise a glass to one of my favorite cocktails, the margarita. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

If you’re not a fan of coconut, try one of my other margaritas: the perfect classic, rhubarbarita, watermelon or mango.

Coconut Margarita
adapted from Martha Stewart
makes 2 cocktails

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, plus 2 slices of lime (about 3 limes)
3/4 cup Coco Lopez or cream of coconut*
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons tequila
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1
On a rimmed baking sheet, toss coconut with the salt. Spread on sheet; toast in oven, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, then crush with your hands until crumbly.
2
Rub the rim of both glasses with a lime slice. Place coconut mixture on a rimmed plate. Dip rims of two cocktail glasses in coconut mixture, coating well.
3
Combine remaining ingredients with 1 cup ice in a blender; puree until smooth. Divide evenly between prepared glasses, and serve immediately.
*If you can’t find Coco Lopez, taste the margarita before pouring as it may need a little sugar added to it. Add a Tablespoon at a time until you’re satisfied, blending between each addition.
Filed under happy hour by kelly. May 5th, 2011 . 5 Comments

lunch special: ramp pesto

It’s been two weeks since I’ve started my new schedule— 4 days of paid work, 1 day of my passion projects— and something kind of awesome happened. I’ve been making lunch. Often when it’s just me at home, I resort to something weird like cheese and nuts and dried fruit, but I decided that this is the perfect opportunity to challenge myself and have fun at the same time. So, without further ado I’m pleased to announce a new weekly column called lunch special. The goal of it will be to present a fresh, quick and delicious meal that can be make with stuff I already have in the fridge or cupboard.

I whipped up this super simple lunch last week and have been thinking about it since. Ramps are one of the few new things at the market this time of year, so of course I had some in hiding in the fridge, just waiting to be used. With little time, I boiled some water, then tossed the ramps in my food processor along with a handful of pine nuts, another handful of cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. A quick blitz and shazam, I had myself some potent smelling ramp pesto. I dropped my pasta in the boiling water, let it cook, then once it was drained I tossed the pasta with the pesto. It took all of 15 minutes and was totally awesome. Especially with a squirt of fresh lemon to jazz it up.

Lunch special success! Bonus, I had leftover pesto… woohoo!

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Filed under dinner and eat and lunch special by kelly. May 3rd, 2011 . 8 Comments