Truffled Deviled Eggs (4/22)

I'm an egg lover. Prepare me an egg six ways from Sunday and I'll happily eat it. In my egg compendium (my compeggdium, if you will) there is a special place reserved for deviled eggs. The first time I had them was from a platter at Amanda Perkins's 8th birthday party, quietly sitting beside the much more popular chips sidled up next to the dip and those annoyingly outgoing cookies.

I thought to myself, "Self, this is some sort of egg. But an egg the likes of which I have never seen in all my years. I must eat it at once." And I did.

I liked it so much that I probably ate far more than I should have, and since then I eagerly nose them out at parties where that all-American heritage runs deep. I don't know how to put this delicately, so I'll just say it: this is the whitest way to prepare eggs I can imagine. A blob of mayonnaise, a squirt of mustard and a little sprinkle of paprika? My Vietnamese-American self could never imagine such flavors.

I also assumed that everyone knew what they were, which is why I was so confused when I got involved in this conversation at a Denny's a few years later:

Waitress: And how do you want your eggs?
11-year-old-self: Deviled, please.
Waitress: I'm sorry?

I still think she was faking. She just didn't want to go back there and tell them that a little girl had just asked for her eggs to be hardboiled, the yolks seasoned and then piped back into their shell.

Well, I'm here to tell you that I will have my eggs deviled, dangit! (chews and spits something)

This recipe was based on Anne Burrell's that I got by way of Menu for Love. I thought that preparing 4 eggs would be a nice lunch, forgetting that I'm eating essentially eight deviled thingies loaded with mayonnaise, so I'd say try to set these out for other people. This is why I can't go to buffets. Careful not to overdo it on the truffle oil, because that stuff is strong. Sta-rong.







I used both whole grain and Dijon mustard, but substitute whatever you like. And am I the only one who thinks that the truffle oil looks like the "2001"/monolith tribute shot from "Clueless" when Cher gets the call from Christian on that huge black cordless? Or am I reading too much into this? Don't answer that.




Truffled Deviled Eggs

Ingredients
4 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp truffle oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp whole grain mustard
Pinch cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions
Place the eggs in a pot and cover with tap water. Bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain, cool and peel.

Cut in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and add to mayonnaise, truffle oil, mustard, cayenne, and pepper. Mix to combine, then whip until very light and fluffy.

Spoon or pipe the yolk mixture into the whites. Sprinkle with chopped chives. I held back on salting the yolk and instead sprinkled coarse sea salt on top, which lent a sharp crunch and nice contrast. Otherwise, just season to taste with kosher salt.

Frisée aux Lardons

Classic. Beautiful. Bacon.


Bacon fat rendered from crisp fried bits is whisked into a warm vinaigrette and drizzled over a salad of mixed greens, served with a poached egg. Classic bistro fare.

Frisée aux Lardons
Adapted from Nancy Silverton (via Dishing up Delights)

Ingredients
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon bacon fat
1 head frisée (I used a bag of mixed salad greens)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Directions
Over medium-low heat, cook bacon until crispy. Drain fat, reserving one teaspoon, and add olive oil, shallots and garlic. Cook 2-3 minutes.

Whisk in Dijon and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about one minute and stir bacon back in. Set aside.

In a separate saucepan, set water to just below boiling. Crack an egg into a dish, give the water a strong stir and slip the egg into the water. Cook 3-5 minutes, lift egg out with a slotted spoon and set on a paper towel. Repeat for the second egg.

Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and toss to combine. Serve with poached egg on top.

Ina Garten's Herbed Baked Eggs (3/3)

Of the many ways I prepare eggs, this is my sister's favorite. They are baked in a little melted butter and sprinkled with cheese, garlic and fresh herbs. I mean, really?? Thanks, Ina!

Herbed-Baked Eggs
adapted from Ina Garten via Dishing Up Delights

Ingredients
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated Parmesan
4 large eggs
1/4 cup tomatoes, diced
1/2 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and Parmesan and set aside.

Place 2 ramekins on a baking sheet. Pour cream and a small pat of butter in each dish and place in the oven for about 3 minutes. Quickly, but carefully, crack the eggs into the ramekins and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. Be careful, the melted butter can seem liked uncooked white. Don't be fooled! The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot.

(By the way, I've made this recipe so many times now that my method is to throw a pat of butter and splash of heavy cream in the ramekins to melt in the oven, then add 2 eggs to each and sprinkle with pinches of cheese, garlic, herbs and tomatoes. Throw back in and bake 15 minutes. Seriously delicious.)

Pioneer Woman's Creamy Herbed Potatoes, or The One Thing Your Doctor Advises Against Eating (11/17)

Hi, I'm Christine. These are potatoes that have been sliced and baked with a lot of butter, cream, cheese, cream cheese, and some herbs for the health. I made these during the holidays (welcome, spring!) and kind of regretted it. Click for my tamed-down version of the recipe, but know that even that was really, really heavy. I mean, I can tolerate a lot of fat, but...phew. My sister loved it, by the way. She also eats sunflower seeds in bed, so that should tell you something.

Creamy Herbed Potatoes
from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
4 to 5 russet potatoes
1/2 stick (2 oz) butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped sage
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.

Slice potatoes very thinly.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium low heat and add onion. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add cream cheese to the pan and stir to melt.
Pour in cream and milk, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in herbs.
Arrange potatoes in a greased baking dish. Pour contents of skillet over the top.
Top with Parmesan cheese and bake for 45 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Allow potatoes to sit 15 minutes before serving. Which you should do by giving away. So...much...cream...

Chicken Teriyaki (10/21)

I saw this delicious-looking recipe on Soy and Pepper and decided to make it that night for dinner the next day. With so few ingredients, I knew I couldn't eff up that badly.

I love how confident I am in myself sometimes, despite how wrong I can be.

Honestly, I didn't really ruin the dish. It was just lacking that oomph, that extra something that makes chicken teriyaki such a distinct and delectable dish: sticky-sweet, tender chicken meat good enough to be served over plain rice. Which reminds me, I've got a big ol' rice cooker sitting in my Honda Civic right now. Any more stereotypes you want to throw my way? I'm ready.

Anyway, I realized later that I had, in my ignorance, decided to substitute the mirin with michiu. Mirin is a Japanese rice wine with a sugar content that can go up to 50%, meaning it is sweet. Michiu is a Chinese rice wine that is not sweet. Try not to swap the two when the dish's signature taste is, well, sweet.

Chicken Teriyaki
from Soy and Pepper
serves 2

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless (I buy kosher because it eases my carnivorous guilt)
3 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sake
3 tsp sugar
toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Directions
1. Prepare the chicken by rinsing and patting thoroughly dry. Place in a bowl and add soy sauce, sake, mirin and sugar. Mix well and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Heat some oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from the bowl and pan fry for about 2 minutes on each side until the chicken is nicely browned.
3. Add 5 tbsp water to the reserve marinade (whatever's left in the bowl) and pour over the chicken. Cover and simmer on low heat until cooked through, about 2 minutes.
4. Uncover, increase the heat and reduce the sauce to a glaze to coat the chicken, being careful not to burn the sauce. Remove chicken and slice. Pour remaining teriyaki sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve over warm rice alongside grilled vegetables. Eat slowly, puzzled, you figure out the mirin mystery.

That One Pizza (10/19)

I made this pizza with some of the marinara sauce I had leftover from the lasagna rolls. The toppings include chicken sausage and grilled onions and I'm not sure what else. Spinach? Cotton? Don't ask me to remember these things.

I can't remember which recipe I used for the dough but I'll leave you with my current one, which comes from Peter Reinhart's much-lauded "The Bread Baker's Apprentice." This recipe makes a whole mess of dough that I freeze. When the mood hits I get very excited, remember my dough is frozen, disappointedly move it to the fridge, wait 24 hours, then make pizza. Other than that my method is perfect.


This recipe was also the November Daring Bakers' Challenge, so that might hint that it's fairly lengthy. Other than the proofing times, though, it's a pleasure to work with and is really helpful for those people like myself who like to make a big mess in the kitchen all at once, instead of several little messes.

It really is worth the time. The dough is soft and pliable and bakes into a crusty, chewy bread. Making the entire batch for one night is great for a crowd and allows all kinds of crazy variations. I brought a tray of these relaxed balls (I love being able to say these things) to a friend's house and spent an evening testing a buttload (sorry) of pizza toppings. Some of my favorites are a slather of pesto and slices of mozzarella, baked until bubbly then draped with prosciutto and fresh arugula right out of the oven; some sweet butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar; and a generous glaze of garlic-infused oil under studs of crumbled feta, melted mozzarella and dollops of freshly strained ricotta. What can I say, I'm from California. I eat salad on pizzas.

Basic Pizza Dough
from "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" by Peter Reinhart

Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter).

Dough Ingredients:
4 1/2 Cups (20 1/4 ounces/607.5 g) Unbleached high-gluten (%14) bread
flour or all purpose flour, chilled
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1/4 Cup (2 ounces/60g) olive oil or vegetable oil
1 3/4 Cups (14 ounces/420g or 420ml) water, ice cold (40° F/4.5° C)
1 tablespoon sugar
Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting

DAY ONE
1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in
the bowl of your stand mixer).
2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a
large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in
order to form a sticky ball of dough.
3. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is
smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too
wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry
add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water.
NOTE: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and
mix on medium speed for the same amount of time.The dough should clear
the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the
dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour, so that it clears
the sides. If, on the contrary, it clears the bottom of the bowl,
dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water.
The finished dough should be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just
tacky, and register 50°-55° F/10°-13° C.
4. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking
paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.
5. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough
into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas).
NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper/cutter, dip the
scraper into water between cuts.
6. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry
and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.
NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the
flour again.
7. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them
generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in
plastic food wrap TIGHTLY.
8. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight
or for up to thee days.
NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you
want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case,
pour some oil (a few tablespoons only) in a medium bowl and dip each
dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then
put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for
no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza,
remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the
refrigerator.

DAY TWO
1. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make
it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator.
Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil.
2. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with
flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into
disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter.
Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds
with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.
3. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone
on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible
(500° F/260° C).
4. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum
flour or cornmeal or flour. Flour your hands (palms, backs and
knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper.
Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully
stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by
giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has
expanded outward, move to a full toss.
NOTE: Make only one pizza at a time.
NOTE: During the tossing process, if the dough tends to stick to your
hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then
continue the tossing and shaping. In case you would be having trouble
tossing the dough or if the dough never wants to expand and always
springs back, let it rest for approximately 5-20 minutes in order for
the gluten to relax fully, then try again.
5. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm
in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the
back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum
flour or cornmeal or flour to allow it to slide and not stick to the
pan.
6. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.
NOTE: Remember that the best pizzas are topped not too generously. No
more than 3 or 4 toppings (including sauce and cheese) are sufficient.
7. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake
directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for about 5-8
minutes.
NOTE: After 2 minutes baking, take a peek. For an even baking, rotate
180°. If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move
the stone or jelly pane to a lower shelf before the next round. On the
contrary, if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you
will need to raise the stone or jelly.
8. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board
or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5
minutes before slicing or serving.

Biscuits & Gravy (10/13)

The first time I ever ate biscuits and gravy was during an aerobics class. I love telling this story.


I went to a high school that required 2.5 years of physical education classes. I think to those older than I this would be ridiculous (as opposed to four years) and to some of my contemporaries a bit excessive (many schools require two years). So to avoid being forced to take some random physical course my junior year, I chose to take a summer class with my aerobics teacher. It would be a four hour class, Monday-Friday, and I'd have a year's worth of credit just like that!

Luckily for me, this teacher was very easygoing and a fun person to be around. And because I went to high school in a city near the ocean, to change things up a bit she'd have us meet at the beach for class to walk along the water--an area known as The Strand, a beautiful stretch of pavement for pedestrians, athletes and gawkers that extends primarily from Redondo Beach, through Hermosa Beach to Manhattan Beach.

We'd meet at our spot every day and start walking from one end to the other. We may have done a bit of exercise on the beach itself, but I remember mostly the stroll down the Strand. When she'd dismiss the class we'd sometimes rendezvous (herself included) at some nearby diner or restaurant for lunch, and one day that place happened to be Scotty's on the Strand.

Initially the concept, frankly, grossed me out. It still does in that oh so good way, but come on. It's two buttery biscuits that have been halved, smothered in gravy and served usually along with some sausage. Not exactly beach fare. I'm glad I would wear sweats, but let's just say that I didn't exactly lose weight the summer I decided to take an aerobics class. (Other excursions included a burger joint, where I'd indulge in a crusty grilled cheese on sourdough. I have no regrets.)

And I can't imagine myself ever making this had I not seen The Pioneer Woman's disgustingly delicious-looking recipe for it, and I had to just give in like I did that summer before my junior year. I've accepted the fact that I'm the type of person who gains weight when she takes an exercise class.

It's not too much of a recipe, really. The basic idea is to take the fat from the sausage you've cooked and make a roux with it by adding enough flour for a paste. This is cooked for a bit to remove any raw flour taste and then milk is steadily whisked in to make a sauce (gravy), which is then liberally seasoned and spooned over the biscuits you've baked.

Start by cooking some sausage. This is spicy pork sausage, but any should work (assuming it's fatty; that apple chicken sausage might not be the best for this dish). You'll probably have more success if you cook the kind without casing or remove the casing, because you want to release all the fat that's being held in there.


Gettin' there.


Yeah, that'll work. I got too impatient and broke up the sausage to try to coax that lovely fat out. Shoulda removed the casing.


Remove the sausage and leave the fat in the pan. There isn't too much here but if you have a lot, you'll want to pour it out and add back the amount needed.


To make a roux directly in the pan, eyeball the amount of fat and add the equivalent of that in flour. This means for the tablespoonish of fat in my pan I'd whisk a tablespoon of flour and let it all get coated by the grease. If you've poured the fat out, it's easy to measure equal amounts. You're going for a stirrable paste that is not too dry or too wet. Once the flour is added let the roux cook a little. It'll start to deepen in color. Keep whisking.


Whisking constantly, slowly pour in milk 1 cup at a time. I'd say 1 tablespoon of fat with a tablespoon of butter should need roughly 1 cup of milk, so work with that ratio. The consistency you're going for is a bit thinner than a traditional gravy, because the heat will thicken your sauce quite a bit as it sits on the heat. Taste and season liberally; because you've just diluted your roux with a bunch of milk it'll taste pretty bland--I mean Ann. Once it's gotten a chance to set up and bask in its fatty glory you've got some creamy gravy on your hands! No literally, like all over your hands. Don't ask me how gravy has that effect. In any case, go crazy!


Or just spoon over biscuits and serve. Try not to eat too many. Well, do whatever you want. But seriously, you might regret it. In your stomach, not your heart.


One thing I've learned about biscuits & gravy is that it gets cold fast and most stomachs can't handle too much of this too quickly. Make and serve only what you think you can eat immediately, because the gravy cools down at the end while you're still working your way through the front. It helps to have other people, as long as they are nice people. Enjoy!

Giada's Lasagna Rolls (10/6)

I haven't had too many successful lasagne runs, so this recipe appealed to me when I first saw Giada make it on her show a few years ago. Instead of layering the components of the dish, this recipe calls for a filling of ricotta, prosciutto and spinach to be spread onto individual lasagna noodles. These are then rolled up before being sandwiched between a béchamel sauce and a simple marinara sauce and baked.

What I love about the dish is its format; having twelve defined sections makes it really easy to pack and reheat. I've made this several times, and though I've yet to perfect the recipe to my liking I think it's pretty acceptable. Usually I just have a problem with the sodium. I remember my human physiology professor telling us to avoid two things in life: salt and stress. So while I never hesitate when it comes to rich, full flavors (whole milk, heavy cream, and oh gods the cheeses) I tend to scrimp on seasoning sometimes.

Thus when it comes to this recipe, which calls for three ounces of prosciutto, I find it can be a bit bland because I underseason. I buy prosciutto di Parma, which is more mild than domestic prosciutto, but I still think, "Well...it's got enough salt." But honestly, that can get lost amid all the components. Just be sure to salt and taste the filling before assembly. For the marinara sauce I use a recipe from Giada's wonderful book "Giada's Family Dinners," which like all her books are full of simple and elegant dishes.



Lasagna Rolls
from Giada de Laurentiis

Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg

Lasagna
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
2 cups marinara sauce (recipe follows)
1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

Quick Marinara Sauce
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes in juice
1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over
medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the
milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes
to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt,
pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

To make the marinara: In a blender, add both cans of tomatoes (mine can only take one can at a time, so I do it in batches) and puree with the basil. Set aside. Heat the oil over medium in a large saucepan. Saute the onions and garlic until very tender, then stir in tomato puree and remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer over medium-high and then reduce the heat to medium. Allow the sauce to bubble until it thickens slightly, about 10 minutes with the occasional stir. Season to taste. Yield: about 6 cups. Freeze the remainder in 1-cup portions to pull out and reheat as needed.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and
pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain.
Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent
them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce
over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a
work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture
evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a
jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching,
atop the bechamel sauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles
and ricotta mixture.

Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna
rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan
over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated
through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake
until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let
stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in
a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot and serve
alongside.

Peach and Ossau-Iraty Grilled Panino (9/5)

This sandwich is freaking delicious. It's sweet and juicy from the peach, gooey and rich with cheese and has a perfect crunch from the wild arugula. I adapted it from a recipe I saw Giada make. She called for taleggio, a soft cow's milk cheese, but I had Ossau-Iraty (a firm sheep's milk cheese) on hand and I would prefer that any day. Substitute whatever dubious looking cheese you might find in the back of the drawer.


Peach and Ossau-Iraty Panino
adapted from Giada de Laurentiis's Taleggio and Pear Panini

Serves 1 (multiply as needed)

Ingredients
2 slices thick sourdough bread
good-quality olive oil
2 ounces Ossau-Iraty cheese or brie, sliced
1/4 of a peach, sliced thinly
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
pinch salt
pinch freshly ground black pepper
small handful arugula or spinach

Directions
Preheat a panini machine or grill pan. Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and place the bottom-half of the bread in the panini machine or pan. Toast until golden. Continue with the remaining top slice(s) of bread.

While the top slices of the bread are in the panini machine, begin forming the sandwiches. Divide the cheese among the warm bread. Cover the cheese with slices of fruit. Drizzle the fruit with honey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a handful of arugula. Place the warmed top half of the bread over the arugula and return the competed sandwich to the panini machine for 1 to 2 minutes more to finish melting the cheese. Remove from the panini machine. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

Grilled Tuna Sandwich (7/20)

Lunch! I probably was feeling lazy and just drizzled some olive oil on the sourdough before I threw it on the griddle. Yellowfin Genova tuna in olive oil=fantastic all by itself. Even better with some hearts of palm.







DON'T...

Ginger Soy Chicken (7/19)

The LA Times does a piece in its weekly Food section in which readers ask for recipes from their favorite restaurant dishes. The Times will get the recipe from the chef and adapt it for a home kitchen. I decided to make the ginger soy chicken wings from the Beacon restaurant, which sounded all right but looked amazing! Unfortunately I felt the recipe adaptation was flawed. I followed it according to the directions but they turned out horribly salty, and some ingredients were never used because they didn't write anything about them in the recipe itself. It was ok, though, and I might try it again if I feel like deep-frying.



Mes ingrédients


Combine the chicken broth, mirin, sake, soy sauce, sugar and ginger in a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup. Remove from heat and reserve.



Heat a deep fryer up to 350 degrees F, or a large saucepan with enough oil to come 3 inches up the side.


Season the wings (legs in my case) with salt and pepper, then dredge in cornstarch.


Fry a couple at a time until cooked through, about 8 minutes.


Drain on a rack or towel until all the pieces have been fried. Make sure you get the oil back to temperature before you put more chicken in! It drops a lot when you first start the fry.


After frying all the chicken, bring the reserved sauce to a boil and add the wings, stirring to coat. Cook the chicken until the sauce reduces to a thick glaze.


Remove from heat and toss with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.


If I were to try this recipe again I might add some honey or check carefully the amount of soy sauce I'm using. Also, the recipe calls for butter but doesn't say when you should use it--I'm assuming you add it when you bring the sauce back to a boil, before adding the wings. Hope you have better luck with it! Also, if you're firing up the deep fryer it's really hard not to go crazy and start throwing in other things--Joe Joe's, onions, socks. Be careful.

Ginger soy chicken wings
Adapted from Beacon restaurant

Serves 4 to 6, appetizer portions

Soy-ginger glaze
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup mirin
1/4 cup sake
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon finely chopped ginger

1. Combine the chicken broth, mirin, sake, soy sauce, sugar and ginger
in a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring
occasionally.
2. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced to 1
cup. Remove from heat and reserve.

Chicken wings and assembly
Vegetable oil for frying
12 whole chicken wings (about 2 pounds), separated at the joints and
wing tips removed (save for stock or another use)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup soy-ginger glaze
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds for garnish

1. Fill a large, heavy-bottom saucepan with enough oil to come 3
inches up the side. Heat the oil until a thermometer inserted reads
350 degrees.
2. Season the wings with the salt and pepper, then dredge with the
cornstarch. Fry the wings, a few at a time, until lightly golden and
cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain the wings on a rack.
3. When all the wings are fried, heat a wok or heavy sauté pan over
high heat. Add the reserved ginger-soy sauce and bring to a boil, then
add the wings, stirring to coat. Cook the wings in the sauce, stirring
constantly, until the sauce reduces enough that it coats the wings in
a thick, syrupy glaze.
4. Remove from the heat and toss the wings with the sesame seeds.
Serve immediately.