Fabulous hearty dishes that more or less tend to themselves are key to post Holiday culinary survival. The same can be said of houseguests.
Read MoreWatercress Salad with Asian Pears, Dates and Sliced Chestnuts
Salt and Pepper Turnips
The Farmer's Market never fails to surprise and inspire. Who knew the lowly turnip has so many incarnations?
Read MoreCitrus Chips with Smashed Avocado
Citrus Chips with Smashed Avocado
Citrus Chips
- 2 medium organic navel oranges, washed and scrubbed
- 1 medium organic lemon, washed and scrubbed
- 1 medium organic lime, washed and scrubbed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
- Several sprigs fresh thyme
Heat oven to 425. Slice citrus into rounds - work with a sharp knife to produce rounds as paper-thin as possible. Reserve any mangled slices for Smashed Avocado (recipe below). Brush baking sheet with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange citrus rounds on prepared pan - creating a single layer with little to no overlap. Drizzle citrus with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with a generous amount of sea salt, several cracks of black pepper and fresh thyme. Set in oven and roast until edges start to turn a dark golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 200 and gently roast until citrus flesh is completely crisp, about another 45 minutes. Keep an eye on things as oven temperatures can regulate at different speeds. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.
Smashed Avocado
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and crushed
- 1/2 clove garlic, minced to a paste
- Citrus juice and scraps from above - rind finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon zaatar spice
- 4 ripe avocados
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
- large handful fresh cilantro, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
Combine coriander, garlic, citrus juice and scraps, olive oil and zaatar spice in a bowl. Let stand about 15 minutes. Peel and pit avocados and cut into large pieces and add
to bowl. Season well with salt and pepper and use a butter knife to smash avocado into a chunky mash. Stir in cilantro and serve.
Steamed Mussels with Oven Fries
Simple pleasures to start the new year. In my house there are FOUR birthdays in January so its like the holidays every weekend for the next month. Easy meals from here on out!
Steamed Mussels and Oven Fries
Steamed Mussels
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced to paste
- 4 large shallots, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 5 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped mixed soft herbs such as chervil, tarragon and parsley
Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium low heat. Add garlic and shallots and cook just until very fragrant - a minute or two. Add wine and let come to a simmer. Add mussels, season well with salt and pepper, cover and steam until mussels open, about 7 minutes. Stir in herbs and serve with oven fries (recipe below).
Oven Fries
- 6 Russet baking potatoes, scrubbed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt - Maldon best
- Ground black pepper
- Several sprigs fresh rosemary, stems discarded and needles coarsely chopped
Heat oven to 425. Set a large baking sheet in oven to warm while potatoes soak. Slice potatoes to resemble traditional french fries. Soak in a bowl of cold salty water for about 1 hour, making sure all of the potatoes are completely submerged. Lift potatoes out of water, rinse well and pat dry. Transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season well with sea salt, black pepper and chopped rosemary. Pour remaining tablespoon olive oil on hot baking sheet and tilt from side to side to spread evenly. Transfer potatoes to baking sheet - they should sizzle on contact. Place in oven and roast, without turning potatoes, until deep golden and crisp, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, loosen from tray with a spatula and serve immediately.
Rosemary Gruyere Popovers
Pipe down! Pop up! Of my gosh there are a lot of loud hungry people in my kitchen. Happy New Year!
Read MoreEggnog Creme Brûlée
Simple Fish Cakes with Peas and Mint
In midst of holiday gluttony it nice to take dinner down a notch. Fish and chips without the fuss and hot oil splatter.
Read MoreChocolate Gingerbread Cake With Candied Orange
Last Minute Gifting Christmas Caramels
For all of you wanting to show off your fancy salt supply - now is the time. Just a sprinkle of salt, a sweet box and maybe a rubber stamp and you have a present straight out of Brooklyn!
Read MoreAcorn Squash Bowl with Greens and Grains
A hearty but healthy break in the holiday meal cycle. Your belly will thank you.
Acorn Squash Bowl with Greens and Grains
Acorn Squash
- 3 medium small acorn squash, scrubbed, halved and seeds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Several sprigs fresh oregano
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
Heat oven to 400. Arrange squash on a baking sheet, cut side up. Divide about 2 tablespoons olive oil between squash halves. Strew with sliced garlic and oregano. Season well with salt and pepper. Roast until squash is spoon tender and garlic is golden and caramelized, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and serve hot - filled with Greens and Grains (recipe below).
Greens and Grains
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced to paste
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
- Several gratings fresh nutmeg
- Pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 cup whole freekeh
- Pinch saffron
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup dried mulberries or golden raisins
- 1/2 cup roasted chestnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 small bunch Russian kale or other dark green, tough stems removed, rinsed and just shaken dry
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium flame. Add onion and cook, stirring often until soft, translucent and golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir in coriander, cardamon, nutmeg, cinnamon and grated ginger. Cook a minute or two more. Add ginger and stir so to coat grains in spice and oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Cook another minute or so. Add 2 cups cold water and saffron. Increase heat and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes depending on grain. Remove from heat and add mulberries. Let stand, covered, about 5 minutes. Stir in chestnuts and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Add kale, season with salt and pepper, and sautée until just tender, adding a splash of water if necessary to prevent scorching. Fill baked squash above with grains and top with sautéed greens.
Prosciutto Baked Brie and Roasted Figs
Sweet Paul Interviews KR In Holiday Issue
We are having a serious love affair with Sweet Paul Magazine. Shout out to all the talented people there who live and breath their jobs. A little insite into our creative process and a few posts highlighted over the past year. You can find the newest issue of Sweet Paul Holiday Issue here!
Persimmon Granita with Pomegranate Seeds
Persimmon are high maintenance. They take days to ripen and seconds to rot. But - if you catch them just right - the gorgeous orange pulp is sweet and delicious.
Read MoreHoliday Cheer Aperol Spritz
Because it is a spritz - two is really one. Or at least that's our story and we're sticking to it.
Read MoreKR in the Fall issue of Sweet Paul Magazine
Just a sample of our little story that you can find in the Fall Issue of Sweet Paul Magazine. We love this story we produced for them and think you will too. Some of my favorite recipes are to be found here.
Soft Polenta with Toasted Pine Nuts and Fried Sage
Polenta - to my mind - suffers from having been made to be too many things. Keep it simple - pure soft and creamy - and not so much a vehicle for something else but perfection on its own.
Read MoreGingerbread Shortcake with Caramelized Pears
Happy Thanksgiving. Something to be thankful for in lieu of pie and as breakfast tomorrow when you don't feel like cooking EVER again -could just get you over the hump.
Gingerbread Shortcake with Caramelized Pear
Gingerbread Shortcakes
- 2 cups all purpose flour (whole wheat works too)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch cloves
- Several gratings fresh nutmeg
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 candied ginger, cut into long slivers
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir well. Cut in butter and quickly work dough to create a coarse crumb. Combine vanilla bean seeds and heavy cream and quickly mix into dough. Turn out onto a parchment lines baking sheet and gently pat into a square - roughly 8 x 8. Refrigerate about 1 hour. Heat oven to 375. Cut dough into 8 equal squares and reconfigure on baking sheet so there is some breathing space between. Pat top of each square with a little cold water and sprinkle with sugar. Top with a few slivers candied ginger. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Best warm.
Caramelized Pear
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 2 pounds firm but ripe pears, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peak, for serving
Melt butter in a heavy bottomed skillet over low heat. Add sugar, sprinkling so to create a more or less even layer. Let stand a few minutes while sugar melts into butter and softens. Increase heat slightly. Add sliced pears and cook, shaking pan until sugar melts completely and starts to caramelized - shake pan to prevent scorching. Add brandy and let bubble up. Reduce heat and let simmer just long enough that pears soften, release some juices and are drenched in golden caramel. Sandwich pears between halved Ginger Bread Shortcakes and serve with whipped cream.
Roast Honey Nut Squash with Rosemary and Gruyere
These squash are as sweet as they are cute and roast up to make a great Thanksgiving side complete with a makeshift gravy boat/relish bowl.
Read MorePumpkin Breakfast Bread
Pumpkin by day
Pumpkin by night
Big thanksgiving kiss to friends and family near and far. Here's yet another thing to be thankful for on Thanksgiving morning!
Read More