Classic Butterscotch Pudding

Guaranteed to make one feel better about things

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 large pinch flaky sea salt

2 1/4 cups whole milk

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium low flame. Add sugar and cook, stirring often, until it bubbly. - being careful that sugar does not burn. Stir in cornstarch and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture forms a thick paste. Combine milk and 3/4 cup heavy cream in a container with pouring spout. Slow add milk/cream - bit by bit - whisking as you go until all the liquid is combined and pudding is smooth and thick, about 8 minutes. If whisk gets cumbersome - use a wooden spoon to stir after all the milk/cream has been added. Stir in vanilla. Refrigerate pudding, covered, for at least 2 hours before serving. Whip remaining 1/2 heavy cream to soft peak. Divvy up pudding between serving bowls and top with a dollop of cream.

Spring Pizza with Asparagus and Prosciutto

This pizza can either be a fun project or quick dinner - depending if you go with homemade or store bought dough. Either way it is delicious.

Spring Pizza with Asparagus and Prosciutto

• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

• 1 3/4 luke warm water

• 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

• 2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

• Cornmeal

• 1 pound thin asparagus, tough ends trimmed and blanched until just tender

• 4 eggs

• 6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto

• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

Combine yeast and water in a large mixing bowl and let stand until yeast is nice and foamy, about 5 minutes.  Stir in flour and salt, turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead to form a soft slightly elastic dough.  Place dough in a well oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover loosely with plastic and refrigerate overnight - the longer the better.  

4 hours before you wish to bake pizza (and remember you can buy dough or use a pre fab crust if this is all getting too much - in which case skip to topping) remove dough from fridge, punch down and divide into quarters.  Shape each quarter into a nice tight ball.  Cover with plastic and return to fridge for another 3 hours (longer is OK too).  

Remove balls from refrigerator and preheat oven (and pizza stone if using) to 475. If not using pizza stone place a baking sheet in the oven to heat.   Let balls come to room temperature while oven heats - they should stand about 30 or so minutes.   Dust pizza stone or baking sheet with cornmeal.  Stretch and pull one ball of dough to form a nice thin crust.  Set on hot stone or sheet.  Place a 1/4 of blanched asparagus over dough.  Arrange 1/4 of prosciutto over asparagus. Create a shallow dent in dough and crack one egg directly into dent.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons grated cheese. Sprinkle with sea salt.  Set in oven and bake until pizza dough is crisp and golden, asparagus is nicely charred and egg is set about 20 minutes.  Repeat process with remaining dough and toppings - keeping the hot pizzas coming!

Peter Som's Balsamic Miso Short Ribs with Citrus Gremolata

A few words from Peter - our friend and guest chef.

Who: As much as I cook for friends and family, I ultimately cook for me. It’s my own form of therapy—nothing makes me happier than being in the kitchen with a bit of organized chaos. What: Food that evokes memory or a special time and place. When: Anytime. I’ll cook stew in the morning. I’ll bake a cake at midnight. Where: Anywhere. Give me a stove and a knife and I’m happy as a clam. Some of my favorite meals were cooked on the fly with what was around. Nothing precious or overwrought. How: Is it strange to say that when I cook its almost like a moving meditation? Whether in the kitchen solo or with a friend, there’s an innate choreography that just happens when everyone and everything’s in sync. Like I said, its like therapy. Why: Cooking keeps my feet on the ground so my head can be still in the clouds

Balsamic Miso Short Ribs with Citrus Gremolata

• 4 lbs. beef short ribs 3 red onions, cut into wedges

• 10 cloves garlic, peeled

• 3 tbsp brown miso

• 3 tbsp tomato paste

• 8 sprigs oregano

• 8 sprigs thyme

• 1 3/4 cups balsamic vinegar

• ½ cup maple syrup

• 1 14oz can crushed tomatoes

• 4 cups beef stock

  Gremolata

• 1 cup flat leaf parsley leaves

• ½ tbsp lemon zest

• ½ tbsp orange zest

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp coriander

• ¼ tsp kosher salt

• Pinch black pepper

Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Liberally salt and pepper on all sides. Working in batches, brown the ribs in the dutch oven until deep golden brown, approximately 3-4 minutes each side. Remove from dutch oven and set aside. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, and garlic to dutch oven and sauté until golden brown. Approximately 4-5 minutes. Add miso and tomato paste and stir to combine. Return short ribs to dutch oven, along with oregano, thyme, balsamic, maple syrup, tomatoes, stock and salt and pepper. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer, covered, for 2 ½-3 hrs. Remove ribs and turn heat to medium high to reduce sauce, approximately 6-8 minutes. For gremolata, combine parsley, lemon and orange zest , salt and pepper in small bowl with olive oil and stir to combine. To serve, pour sauce over plated short ribs and top with gremolata.

Pisssaladière with Socca Crust

Sweet savory and absolutely delicious. This recipe can be made with pantry staples. It is gluten free and will do your spirits a world of good. Pour yourself a glass of chilly rosé - maybe two - because it is not like you have anywhere to go.

1 cup chickpea flour

1 cup cold water

large pinch salt

2 tablespoons olive oi, l plus more for pan

2 tablespoons butter

3 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced

a few sprigs fresh thyme

1 jar anchovies

1 cup Niçoise olives, pitted

Whisk together chickpea flour and water. The batter should be the consistency a thick pouring cream. Season with a large pinch of salt and stir in olive oil. Let stand at room temperature for at least one hour before using. The batter can be made 24 hours in advance and refrigerated until needed. Bring to room temperature before using.

Melt butter in a wide heavy bottomed sauce pan. Add onions and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally onion onions turn an golden color and are their way to a sticky sweet jam, about 45 minutes. Be careful not to scorch. Add fresh thyme about half way through the cooking. Add a splash of water if onions stick or need a little encouragement. Remove from heat.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place a 9 inch square baking pan or skillet in the oven and let stand about 10 minutes to heat. Remove from oven. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon more olive oil into hot pan. Immediately pour batter into hot pan and return to oven. Bake until socca is set and just starting to turn golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and spread onions over socca crust. Arrange anchovies in a hatch mark pattern over onions and top with olives. Return to oven for another 5 minutes. Serve piping hot.

Holiday Survival Tip #1

Our version of “bathtub gin” is slightly more upscale with less work involved (we bought Hendricks instead of distilling it ourselves). We highly recommend a good SOAK and a cocktail of your choice (be it alcoholic or not). The point is to take a moment for yourself so you can be on your best behavior with everyone else!

Gin Martini:

6 Parts Hendricks Gin

1 part dry Dolin Vermouth

Chill a martini glass (our fav is this vintage classic from Baccarat) by filing with ice and water. Fill a bartender’s glass with 2/3’s ice. We went over the top here with our fancy cubes from Okamoto Studio.

Stir vermouth and Gin together over ice.

Strain into (now empty) martini glass.

Soak in tub and unwind.

Happy Holidays from KR!

Prop Styling by Lili Abir Regan

Location: Oliver Freundlich Design

Credits: Hand towel from Dosa, Bathtub from Sunrise (discontinued but see a great option here Vintagetubs.com)

Faucet from Kallista

Chocolate Truffles with Activated Charcoal and Black Lava Sea Salt

Chocolate Truffles with Charcoal and Black Lava Sea Salt

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 10.5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon cognac

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• Activated charcoal, for rolling

• Black Lava Sea Salt, for garnish

Scald cream in a smallish saucepan over medium heat. Place chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl. Pour half the hot cream over chocolate and let stand about 2 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to gently blend chocolate and cream. Stir in the remaining cream and stir just to combine. Stir in cognac and vanilla. Let stand, covered with plastic wrap, until mixture hardens enough that it can be shaped into small bite size balls. Roll balls in charcoal, shaking off excess, so to make a thin coat. Top with a sprinkle of salt. Keep refrigerated until 15 minutes before serving.

Yogurt with Roasted Dates, Persimmon and Pistachio Butter

Yogurt with Roasted Dates, Persimmon and Pistachio Butter

• 8 Medjool dates, pitted

• 2 ripe persimmon, thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Generous pinch flaked sea salt

• 2 cups plain full fat yogurt

• 2 tablespoons Pistacchiosa or pistachio cream

• 1/4 cup pistachio nuts, roasted

Heat oven to 4oo. Arrange dates and persimmon slices on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with a a bit of salt. Roast until fruit starts to caramelize, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven. Slice dates into small pieces.

Divide yogurt between pretty bowls. Top with roasted fruit, a spoonful of pistachio cream and a few pistachio nuts. Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt before serving. Eat for breakfast lunch or dinner.

Melon Wedges with Mint and Spice

A ripe melon should smell sweet at the stem and feel heavy for its size. Half, seed and slice melons. Mix juice of 2 limes with a tablespoon of honey and drizzle over melon wedges. Sprinkle liberally with sea salt and turmeric and a large handful of mint leaves.

Shaved Beet, Donut Peach And Cherry Tomato Salad

This combination of ripe fruits and vegetables is the work of mother nature. The only instruction needed here is to head to the market before the first frost!

Homemade Strawberry Popsicles

The trick is to grow up - not old! These strawberries, having survived relentless heat all week, are as sweet as can be.  To make popsicles simply hull berries and puree the fruit.  Add a touch of sweetness in the form of simple syrup if you think necessary - although we promise that it is not.  Freeze puree in a popsicles molds.  When frozen solid - remove from freezer, find a sunny rock and let the juices run from hand to elbow.  Happy summer. 

Berry Salad with Shiso and Umeboshi Plum

End of Summer has us feeling a little black and blue!

• 1 pint blackberries
• 1 pint blueberries
• large handful purple shiso (opal basil makes a good substitute) 
• 2 tablespoons umeboshi plum vinegar
• 3 - 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Combine berries and shiso in a serving bowl.  Douse with vinegar and olive oil and season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Serve at once. 

Stracci Toscani with Garlic Scape Pesto and Fresh Peas

Stracci Toscani with Garlic Scape Pesto and Fresh Peas

8 garlic scapes, tough end trimmed and discarded, cut into small pieces

6 sprigs mint, leaves picked

1 large handful pea shoots, about 1 cup, plus a few more shoots for serving

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for pasta water and seasoning

1 pound Stracci Toscani, or pasta of choice

3/4 cup English peas

Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Place scapes, mint leaves and pea shoots in a food processor.  Slowly add olive oil, pulsing as you go, until mixture forms a smooth paste.  Season with sea salt.  Cook pasta according to package instructions.  Add peas during the last minute or two of cooking. Remove from heat and drain.  Toss hot pasta with garlic scape pesto.  Serve with pea shoots, parmesan and an extra drizzle of olive oil. 

Coconut Rice Flour Crepes with Spring Greens and Black Garlic

Sometimes cravings beget creation.  Such is the case here.  The sudden desire for a particular savory pancake approximating a Banh Xeo resulted in this rice flour crepe.  The end product was so exciting and unexpected that there was no time to prepare a proper filling. Instead we sprinkled each crepe with the greens at hand and a smidgen of black garlic.   Black garlic is a new addition to our kitchen larder.  It is a familiar ingredient in Korean food ( so taking a culinary expansionist approach here ) and tastes both sweet and smokey.  The purported health benefits are big - anti cancer, pro digestion. Go get some. 

Coconut Rice Flour Crepes with Spring Greens and Black Garlic

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• A few cloves, black garlic, mashed to a paste
• A few handfuls Spring Greens and herbs such as chives, mustard and spicy arugula

Whisk together rice flour, coconut milk and water in a small bowl until batter is smooth and the consistency of pourable cream.  Stir in salt.  Let stand at room temperature one hour before using.  Alternatively batter can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated until needed. 

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add olive oil.  Pour about 1/4 cup batter into hot pan. Swirl, tilt and turn pan to spread batter to be as thin as possible.  Top with a bit of black garlic and a handful of greens.  Gently press down on greens.  Cook crépes a few minutes on each side until golden and crisp.  Serve immediately.  

Mango Lasse with Kaffir Lime

Mango Lasse with Kaffir Lime

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and flesh chopped
• 1 tablespoon honey, more or less to taste
• 1 handful ice
• 1 fresh or dry kaffir lime, zested

Combine all ingredients in the jar of a bar blender and blend until smooth and frothy.  Divide between serving glasses.  If using fresh kaffir lime - add a dash of juice as well. 

Yogurt Honey Bar

The world of flowers and honey is as complex and magical as grapes and wine.  Here we have gathered some of our favorite varieties - from comb to creamed.  We included bee pollen for immune bolstering crunch and gorgeous Boules au miel just to be French and fancy.  Use a thick rich decadent Greek style yogurt.  Our vote is full fat but ultimately that is your call.  

Bohemian Rapsody Seeded Yogurt

We could happily eat this everyday - a little tamari and miso mixed together - folded into plain yogurt and topped with toasted sunflower seeds, radish sprouts, pepper flakes and ever so bougie Moon Juice crackers - crumbled so to resemble savory granola. Then yoga! And a sauna. 

Yogurt With Turkish Delight, Pomegranate Seeds And Rose Water

Wanted to create a yogurt extravaganza full of hope and renewal - two themes inherently linked to Spring.  Just the colors alone make us happy.  The gorgeous vibrant cranberry powder and candied almonds are both available at sos-chefs.com - a shop worth exploring!  Bet you could find rosewater there too.