d.i.y.

Some things are just better when you make them yourselves. Homemade roasted peppers are so simple to make and taste so much better than most of what you’ll find at the store. I’ll never preach to you how you should make your own ketchup or mustard, but these really are fantastic. They don’t take too long to make, burning them is actually the point, and the longer they sit in the fridge the better they taste.

Charring the outside of the peppers allows the skin to come off while also cooking the pepper. I put all three on my stove top to cook at the same time and turn them with tongs. Be careful of the stems, they may catch on fire. You can trim them closer to the pepper before you roast them to prevent that. When you place them in the bag it steams off the skin so you can remove it more easily.  The rest is just seasoning. Use more or less garlic to your liking, add herbs, customize it however you’d like.

These are amazing on practically anything. Put them in a sandwich or on a burger. Toss them in a salad or with pasta. Add them to an antipasti platter. My favorite way to eat them is on veggie burgers with a swipe of pesto and fresh mozzarella.

roasted red peppers
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ingredients:
3 red bell peppers
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
Place each bell pepper on the burner of your gas stove or under the broiler in your oven. If using the oven, place the peppers on a rack over a cookie sheet so that clean up is easier. Keep a close watch on the peppers as they roast. You want them blackened all over but you have to be careful as the stems dry out and start to smolder. Once all the sides are blackened evenly, place them in a paper bag with the top folded down or a closed plastic container. You want to trap the steam in with the peppers so that the charred skin is easier to remove. After 5-10 minutes take the peppers out of their container carefully and let them cool enough that you can handle them. Using your fingers to rub off the skin, remove any charred parts, seeds and the stem. Slice the flesh of the pepper and place them in a jar or plastic container with the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine and refrigerate for at least one day before consuming on almost anything.

rules were meant to be broken

“Can I put cheese on this?” is the most common question Alex asks when eating linguine with clams. You would think the answer would always be yes, but he married an Italian woman and all of a sudden his confidence has dwindled over which pasta dishes receive a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and on which it would be blasphemous to do so.

You see, there’s a rule among Italians that you don’t put cheese on fish. It’s just not done. I’m not sure that there’s any logic behind it, that’s just the way things are. When I was growing up there was never any cheese placed on the table when we ate this dish. It wasn’t there because it wasn’t to be used. When at my parents’ house Alex’s question changes to, “is your mom going to be offended if I put cheese on this?” It’s a safe question to ask in our house.

Mario Batalli recently told a story on his talk show, The Chew, about how a customer at his restaurant asked for cheese to put on a seafood dish. When the customer was told that the chef preferred that this dish be eaten without cheese, the customer replied, “then you can take it in to the kitchen and have the chef eat it, because that’s not how I want it.” I have to say I agree. I don’t know the logic behind the ban of cheese on seafood and, quite honestly, I want to eat Parmesan as often as possible. It tastes great on everything. So I say eat cheese on seafood, especially if you’re making this dish!

linguine with clams
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serves: 6

ingredients:
16 ounces linguine
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup white wine
2 6.5- ounce cans clams, drained, rinsed and chopped, juice reserved
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Salt, to taste

directions:
Add a generous sprinkle of salt to a pot of water, bring to a boil, and cook the linguini until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, add the butter and olive oil to a saute pan and heat on med-low until the butter has melted. Add the garlic, basil and thyme and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 5 minutes, until reduced by half. Add the chopped clams, their juice, and the parsley and cook just long enough to heat the clams. Toss the sauce with the pasta and add salt to taste.

lemony snicket

I just want to sit around and make citrus-filled baked goods lately. I don’t know what it is. Citrus is usually seasonal in the winter time, but I associate it most with the summer. That’s when cool glasses of lemonade are sipped on hot sunny days, when wheat beers are enjoyed with bright orange slices perched on top. It really is the most citrusy time of year if you ask me.

This is a recipe straight from my mom, as many are. She used to make these most often for company or as a hostess gift. On a rare occasion she actually made them for us. This has remained one of her tried and true recipes over the years and I can’t even count how many times she’s had to give the recipe out to a friend.

The crust is thin and flaky. It’s baked first before the lemon layer is poured on. The bars are sweet with a hit of tart and remain gooey after cooling. The powdered sugar on top isn’t necessary but it is delicious and adds to their visual appeal. They’re so delicious and easy to make, you have to try them!

mom’s lemon bars
printer-friendly version
makes 16 bars

ingredients:
1/4 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for topping
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour plus 3 tablespoons
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
A dash of salt

directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the powdered sugar, butter and 1 cup of flour until it forms a smooth dough. Pat the dough into an 8 inch square baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour them over the baked crust. Bake for 20 minutes more. Once the bars have cooled, dust them with powdered sugar, cut, and serve.

pie-ay-ah

Ah, springtime. It’s perfect weather for sitting outside and enjoying a cold beverage. One of my favorites is sangria. I mean, wine + fruit… what’s not to like? And what should you be eating with your sangria? How about paella?

Paella is a traditional Spanish rice dish. It can be made with a variety of different proteins, but an essential ingredient is saffron. Saffron is often cited as being the most expensive spice on earth. It is actually the stigmas of the crocus flower and has to be harvested by hand. Saffron adds a warm depth of flavor to dishes as well as a yellow-ish hue.

Paella is usually made in a very large pan over a heat source. I do not have a paella pan, so I like to make it in more of a risotto-style. While not exactly traditional, you get all of the same flavors with a little less hands-on cooking. Let the oven do the work for you while you sip on a glass of sangria!

baked paella
printer-friendly recipe
adapted from Martha Stewart and Annie’s Eats
serves: 6-8

ingredients:
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pounds chicken, cut into 1-2″ chunks
1 pound of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon pimenton (smoked Spanish paprika)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces chorizo, sliced 1/8 inch thick on the bias
1 onion, finely chopped or pureed in a food processor
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped (or 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes)
2 cups Spanish bomba or Arborio rice
1 cup frozen peas
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Warm stock, saffron, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Season chicken and shrimp with 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the pimenton. Heat oil in a 14-inch paella pan or a high-sided ovenproof skillet (I used a dutch oven) over high heat. Brown chicken for about 5 minutes; transfer to a plate.

Cook chorizo over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add onion and garlic. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice, then add broth mixture. Bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the chicken and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and peas and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the chicken and shrimp are cooked through. Let rest for 5-10 minutes and garnish with lemon wedges before serving.

one year

Derek and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary last week. We went out to a fancy-pants dinner to CityZen in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C. on Saturday and then spent a low-key evening in on Monday, our actual anniversary day.

At CityZen, we both selected the chef’s tasting menu and were wowed by all six delectable courses and a couple little extras including an amuse bouche and extra dessert. Being a good, non-embarrassing wife, I didn’t take any pictures during the meal. Derek, being the awesome husband that he is, let me take one picture at the end of dinner of our freebie dessert. It was an amazing meal to celebrate an amazing year together!

Instead of a traditional wedding cake, we served cupcakes and pies for our dessert. I think it’s safe to say that they were a hit and we even ate a couple cupcakes that we saved from last year– and they were actually still pretty good. As an homage to our wedding dessert, I baked a strawberry rhubarb pie.

Strawberry rhubarb pie is Derek’s favorite pie flavor and this recipe is what I used for the first pie I ever baked for him, many years ago. I think that the fact that Derek married me is proof enough that this pie is delicious! Happy anniversary to my hubby– here’s to many more years of fun (and pie)!

strawberry rhubarb pie
printer-friendly recipe
adapted from Saveur
serves: 8

ingredients:
Pie dough (store-bought or see below)
1 1/4 cups plus 2 teaspoons sugar, divided
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups thinly sliced rhubarb
3 cups halved and hulled strawberries
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons milk

directions:
Preheat oven to 400°. Mix together 1 1/4 cups of the sugar, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl, then add rhubarb and strawberries, tossing well to coat evenly. Put the bottom crust into a 9″ pie pan. Fill bottom crust with rhubarb–strawberry mixture and scatter butter on top. Cover with remaining pie crust and crimp edges together to seal. Score top to allow steam to escape, brush with milk, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tsp. sugar. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 50 minutes. If edge of crust browns too quickly, cover edge with a strip of aluminum foil to prevent burning. Allow pie to cool for 1 hour before serving.

pie crust dough
makes enough for bottom and top pie crust

ingredients:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
6 tablespoons cold milk

directions:
Sift together flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Measure oil into a measuring cup, then add milk, but don’t stir together. Pour oil and milk into flour mixture. Stir until dough just holds together. Divide dough in half, shape into 2 balls, and flatten slightly. Roll out each ball between two sheets of wax paper into 12″ rounds.

tea time

We drink a lot of tea around here. I mean a lot. Several cups each per day. Alex prefers oolong and I tend to go with Earl Grey. It was only a matter of time before our love of tea and my love of baking joined forces.

Earl Grey is a black tea combined with oil of bergamont, which lends it its orangey flavor.  Brewing the tea into the milk lends the bread a hint of earl grey while the orange syrup keeps it moist and citrusy.

earl grey infused orange bread
printer-friendly recipe
makes 1 loaf

ingredients:
3 bags of earl grey tea
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest, finely grated
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons fresh orange juice
4 tablespoons sugar

directions:
Heat the milk in a saucepan until it simmers. Pour it over the tea bags and set it aside to steep until the milk is cool. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set it aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer use a paddle attachment to beat the butter, sugar, and orange zest on medium-high until fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, making sure they’re mixed in well before adding the next one. Add the tea-infused milk and vanilla extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients until everything is well mixed. Pour the batter into a greased and floured loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. While the bread is baking, combine the orange juice and remaining sugar in a saucepan and bring them to a boil over a medium heat. Stir until the mixture thickens slightly and creates a syrup. When the bread is done, let it cool for a few minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack. Use a toothpick or a skewer to poke plenty of holes into the top of the bread and pour all of the syrup over the top of it. Let the bread cool completely for 2-3 hours before slicing.

medusa’s head

Working in an upscale grocery store has its perks, one of which is the ever changing array of intriguing products beckoning me to cook them. The past two weeks that item has been fiddlehead ferns. The first time I cooked them up I posted a picture to facebook and received comments like, “they look like baby snakes” and “that looks like Medusa’s head.” I guess they’re right, but either way, fiddleheads are delicious.

These compact, curly little veggies are actual ferns that are young enough that they haven’t yet uncurled and grown into full grown plants. They taste a bit like asparagus and have to be cooked before eating them or else the toxins they contain can cause slight stomach upset.

I decided to combine the fiddleheads with a lemony risotto, it seemed spring-like and fitting given their short availability. Fiddleheads are only available for a short time before they have time to grow too big, so if you’re going to make this, you have to do it soon.

lemon risotto with fiddleheads
printer-friendly version
serves: 4

ingredients:
2 cups fiddlehead ferns, rinsed
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup onion, minced
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
Zest of 1 large lemon
1/2 cup of parmesan, grated

directions:
Bring a small pot of water to a boil and blanch the fiddleheads for about two minutes until they’re bright in color. Submerge in ice water to stop the cooking process and set them aside. Bring the broth to a simmer in a small saucepan and keep it simmering. In a pot, combine the olive oil and butter and melt to combine over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and garlic until soft. Add the rice and saute until the edges start to turn clear. Add 1/2 a cup of the simmering broth and the lemon juice to the rice. Stir until the liquid is absorbed. Add more broth by 1 cup increments to the rice, always stirring. Make sure that the liquid is absorbed before adding more. After about 15 minutes, when the risotto is almost done, add the blanched and drained fiddleheads and lemon zest. After stirring in the last 1/2 cup of stock add the parmesan. Serve immediately.