crisp, cool and crunchy

I have to confess here. I am currently sitting in a Starbucks ticky tapping away on my laptop while I’m writing this. I’m even drinking a green tea. It’s like I hardly even recognize myself any more. I swore on all that is holy that I would never be a Laptop Loiterer working sucking up all the wifi and the best seat (on the couch next to the outlet with the footstool-score!) but truth be told this is Dickens multitasking at its most ridiculous.

I feel as though I am living in a time warp right now. Where I wake up on Monday morning wondering how I will possibly get All The Things done this week and by the time I’m done scratching the sleep out of my eyes it’s Thursday night and I’m like “Say wait a sec., did I post a blog this week? Did I cook anything this week?” So bear with me on my timing this summer. It’s not you, it’s me and it’s the time warp that happens when you need more time but none is forthcoming.

But you know what? It’s sooooo boring to talk about being busy and it’s even boring-er to talk about the weather but hey, speaking of the weather, hot enough for ya?? (I needed a segue) Cooking is for the birds in this kind of heat wave and summer in general is a season that more lends itself more to simple assembly rather than actually cooking. Fortunately, the food of the season cooperates. As I drove home for lunch yesterday afternoon I knew that I needed food and that I needed said food to be crisp, cool and crunchy. But also healthy, because it’s Tuesday and I should at least try to be healthy on Tuesdays, so that I can take down burgers and ice creams on Sundays. This is what’s called a balanced diet.

SUMMER VEGETABLE BRUSCHETTA 
(inspired by this salad)


1 cucumber 
1 bunch radishes
1 or 2 ears fresh corn
Approx. ½ - ¾ cup mixed fresh herbs, I used: basil, chives and mint
½ cup Feta cheese
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
Juice from one lemon
Salt and pepper


Multigrain bread, large slices, or a baguette cut into ½ inch slices* 
1 or 2 peeled garlic cloves 


Store bought hummus (optional)

Peel, quarter lengthwise and slice your cucumber into thin slices. Wash the radishes thoroughly, trim the ends and thinly slice into tiny circles. Cook the corn however you choose and once cooled, cut the kernels from the cob. As always, I choose to char it over an open flame because it takes the least amount of time and tastes great.

Combine all of your veggies in a medium-sized bowl. Trim and chop the herbs and add to bowl as well. I used equal parts chives and basil and then a little bit of mint but really any fresh herbs would work well here and scallions would stand in perfectly for the chives if that happens to be what you have on hand. Likewise, any crisp, fresh raw vegetable would work here, I just happened to want cukes, radish and corn, but you could use fresh green beans, snap peas or carrots even.

Crumble feta on top and drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt. Grind in a good amount of fresh cracked pepper and toss together to combine. Taste and add a bit more seasoning or lemon juice if necessary.

Cut a multigrain baguette into slices, or use sliced bread that you have on hand. Toast until well browned and while it’s nice and hot rub a clove of garlic over. If you’d like to use the hummus, spread a thin layer on the toast after it’s been rubbed with garlic and spoon the salad on top. If not using, skip this step and spoon the vegetables right onto your garlic toasts. Serve immediately.

Truthfully, I could take or leave the hummus and I’m the type of person that will ALWAYS take the hummus. Seriously, hummus is like currency in our house and we mainline hummus like it’s some sort of serum of eternal youth. And truth be told we DO always get ID’d when we’re together even though we are both at least ten years over the legal age, so maybe there’s something to that. Hummus= eternal youth. The Dickens’ scoop: you heard it here first. ANYWAYS, I’m off track, so I thought maybe this salad would need a little jazzing up, hence, I added hummus to one of my toasts and left the other unhummused. Verdict: it’s seriously delicious either way. The hummus adds a little texture and tang, but without it, the taste of lemon juice and bright herbs really stand out, so it’s totally your call.

*This would make a phenomenal summer appetizer. If I were making it for a crowd I would make small bruschetta toasts. In this case for a lunch main course, I used larger slices of multigrain bread. 

red, white and rosé

I am, admittedly, a wee bit obsessed with rosé. I will talk about it passionately with anyone who will listen because I am determined that the world know how refreshing and delicious it is (in addition to being so very pretty). Rosé is refreshing and easy to drink but has a touch more complexity than your typical white wine. Not that I don’t like a cold glass of white, I am a Caucasian female: we’re pretty much programmed to pound the stuff. But my warm weather weekends almost always involve a chilled bottle of pretty pink wine (or two).



I knew for 4th of July that I wanted to make a punch to: a) use our radical new punch bowl; b) use up the delicious Sweet Cherry Simple Syrup I made last week; and, c) have enough hooch in it to make us sufficiently warm and fuzzy because nothing to me says “Happy Birthday America” like a cool buzz, some smoked meats and some mother loving fireworks. Tonight I plan on having all three and I wish you the same. Happy 4th.



RED, WHITE and ROSE PUNCH

(for one)

½-¾ cup chilled rose wine
Juice from half a lemon
1-2 oz. Sweet Cherry Simple Syrup
Ice
Seltzer

Frozen cherries
Slicced lemons

Fill a rocks glass or stem less wine glass with ice. Drizzle in Cherry Syrup, add the lemon juice and rose; stir together to combine well. Top off with seltzer. Garnish with frozen cherries or any other fruit (peaches or strawberries would also taste great). Serve immediately and repeat until feeling sufficiently patriotic.



(for a crowd)

2 bottles chilled rose wine
Juice from 2 lemons
½ - ¾ cup* Sweet Cherry Simple Syrup
1/3 container frozen lemonade concentrate (like Minute Maid)
1 ½ liters seltzer
Frozen cherries, lemon slices, or any other fresh cut fruit for color and garnish

Combine Cherry Syrup, lemon juice, frozen lemonade and rose in a large pitcher or punch bowl; stir together to combine well, add the cherries and any other fruit. Set in the fridge until ready to serve, anywhere from an hour to overnight. When ready, fill pitcher or bowl with ice and top off with seltzer. You can also use less seltzer for a more concentrated punch; or, if you’re a real boozehound use a bottle of Prosecco or Cava instead (no judgment here, I think it’s a swell idea).

*(the amount depends on how sweet you want your finished punch, add it to taste)

sippin' on some syzzurp

There is a song that came out when I was in college called that. It was about people drinking cough syrup to catch a buzz. This post is not about that (sorry to disappoint). I’m all for freedom of expression but I can’t say I would advocate drinking Nyquil to get crunk. That just sounds...unpleasant. That song, however, always made me giggle and forever changed me in that I cannot read, see or think the word “syrup” without nodding my head slightly and rapping “sip sip sippin’ on some syzzurp.” It’s an affliction I’ll live with the rest of my life.

 


Cherries have been everywhere lately and they are cheap and ripe and ready to go. I find them hard to resist because they are so cute. So naturally I found myself with a big satchel of cherries but without the spare time or inclination to pit a mother lode of them in order to make a pie, crumble or cobbler. I wanted to do something that was, by its very definition, simple. A Sweet Cherry Simple Syrup to be used drizzled on top of ice cream, as the base for boozy cherry lemonade, in homemade popsicles or for any other host of seasonally appropriate uses. I found the finished product delicious- if a bit too sweet to be used over (already sweet) ice cream, but perfect for mixing up fizzy, summery cocktails and mocktails with




SWEET CHERRY SIMPLE SYRUP 


1 cup water
1 cup sugar 
1 ½ cup cherries, pitted 
Juice from one lemon 
2 inch piece lemon zest 

 


Bring water and sugar to a boil over high heat and stir gently, letting boil until clear (this happens relatively quickly so stay nearby). Reduce heat to low, add cherries, lemon juice and lemon peel. Bring to a low simmer and let cook for about 10-15 minutes.




Remove from heat. Let cool a bit and puree with an immersion blender or by pouring the whole mix into a food processor or blender. Let the chunky syrup sit at room temperature until completely cooled. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a jar or glass. Store in the fridge. Makes about 1 ½ cups Cherry Syrup.




When I was speaking with a coworker about cherries the other day he said he didn’t like them because they have such a strong flavor connection to cough syrup. But for me, when I think “cherry” and “cough” I don’t think about syzzurp per se, but that delicious candy-disguised-as-medicinal-aid known as Loudon’s Cough Drops. When I was little and I had a sore throat if my mom bought me Loudon’s I would snarf down the whole box before I even had so much as a tickle. They were so good. As I drained this here mocktail (which could easily be turned into a grown up drink) today the sweet cherry flavor reminded me of those delicious, if useless, faux British drops of my childhood. I think I feel a sore throat coming on, I may have to go buy a box to snack on, er, sooth my throat. Or maybe I’ll just grab another ice cold Loudon’s Fizz.




LOUDON’S FIZZ 


1-2 tsp. Sweet Cherry Simple Syrup 
Juice from half a lemon 
1 can lemon flavored seltzer 
Ice 


Lemon slices and frozen cherries (optional)


 


Pour Cherry Syrup over ice; add the lemon juice and garnishes, if using. Fill glass to brim with seltzer. Stir together gently and enjoy immediately.

 


Citron vodka would be amazing in this. Or forgo the whole can of seltzer, fill the glass half full with Prosecco or Cava and top off with seltzer. I’m planning on using the remainder of my syrup in a wine-based punch for 4th of July. Look out for that recipe sometime next week.

shoes, salsa and redemption

This post is long overdue. If I’m being completely honest, all my spare time is being swallowed whole by the black whole of time suck that is wedding planning. Forgive me if I alienate anyone with this next statement here: but any chick that likes this process may have a bit of a sadistic streak. Planning a wedding is like going shopping all the time. Except unlike normal shopping where you maybe end up with a cute top that makes you feel adorable every purchase carries with it the terrifying emotional weight of a tiny voice in your head that says “Yes but will this be good enough for YOUR WEDDING? Will you like this on the BIG DAY? Will anyone be offended if I don’t have this, that or the other thing??” Who started all this anyways? I believe it was Martha Stewart and at this point, she can kiss my grits because I just want my spare time back



Because you know what I usually do in my spare time? I make delicious foods and then talk about them with you (and anyone with ear holes). And in my spare time the other day I tried on some heels that I got in the mail, wore my bathrobe (seriously, I want you to see this mental picture) and made a tomatillo salsa fresco that was so good I almost pulled my rotator cuff patting myself on the back. At the end of the process I kicked the heels off, put some normal clothes on and breathed a little easier. Because being in the kitchen, slicing things with my giant knife, clomping around in over priced heels made me feel whole again. And I happen to know the heels had nothing to do with it.



So I had to share this hot spicy salsa on this hot spicy summer day because it really came out so good it inspired my whole entire Wednesday night menu. I grilled up some fajita fillings, made a batch of guacamole and a simple corn and black bean salad and ate a big old plate of redemption. My kitchen confidence had been quite rattled after a string of crummy meals over the past few weeks and a supper like this was just what I needed to get my mojo back. Perfect fare for a sultry summer night: it was fresh and fairly healthy with plenty of spice to help us sweat through the heat. In good faith, I’m providing all three recipes here to make up for the serious lack of Dickens over the past two weeks. Enjoy.




TOMATILLO and TOMATO SALSA FRESCA
(tweaked slightly from a recipe found on the kitchn)

3 tomatillos
2 tomatoes
2 jalapenos, split and seeded except for one half
¼ white onion, finely minced
One small garlic clove
Juice from one lime
¼ cup water
Splash olive oil
Sea salt



Preheat your broiler to high. Peel the papery outer skin off your tomatillos and wash them well, as well as the tomatoes and jalapenos. Cut all of the vegetables in half and remove any stems. I left the seeds in one half of only one of my jalapenos because I wanted my salsa to have a kick. Leaving this amount of seeds in made it considerably spicy in a good way; the kind of heat that leaves your mouth tingling, but doesn’t have you reaching for a glass of milk in agony. If you are a mild salsa person, I would recommend using only one jalapeno, removing the seeds completely or, using a milder pepper, like a poblano.



Place the veggies on a baking sheet and broil, until browned or blackened in spots, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove veggies from the broiler and let cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, mince your onion and place it, along with the garlic, water and lime juice in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add the vegetables and pulse until it reaches the desired consistency. You could certainly leave this salsa a bit chunky, but I think it’s best pureed fairly well- it reminds me more of restaurant-style salsa this way. Taste, and add more salt, pepper, and lime juice if necessary. Makes a generous sized jar full. Store in the refrigerator. It tastes great right out the gate but much, much better the next day and the day after that.




CHARRED CORN and BLACK BEAN SALAD

2 ears fresh corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ bell pepper, minced
¼ Vidalia onion, minced
Diced tomatoes (optional)
Fresh Cilantro (optional)
Juice from one lime
1 tsp. cumin
Salt
Pepper
Hot sauce
Olive oil
 


Peel and husk your corn cobs and set them on the grill, or over the open flame of a gas stove to char. Stay nearby, turning frequently, until blackened in spots. Be careful, some kernels like to burst open, sending hot corn juice spewing in various directions. Remove corn and let cool for a few minutes.



In a large bowl, combine black beans, onion and pepper. Slice the kernels off each cob of corn and add to the bowl as well, along with the tomatoes and cilantro, if using (I did not use cilantro but it would certainly work well here). Add the lime juice, cumin, salt, pepper, a few shakes of hot sauce and a small drizzle of olive oil. Stir together well and taste. Season with more salt, pepper and hot sauce if desired. Set in the fridge until ready to eat. Like the salsa, this tastes even better after the flavors have had a chance to meld.



GRILLED CHICKEN FAJITAS

Boneless skinless chicken thighs
Yellow or red pepper
Large white onion
Seasoned salt or spice rub
Cumin
Juice from one lime
Olive oil



I don’t make chicken all that often, but if I do, it’s chicken thighs done on the grill. Thighs are not only cheap, they are delicious when grilled because they rarely, if ever dry out from the high heat. They stay juicy and tender and cook up quick. And when you’re grilling in oppressive 90 degree heat at 8 at night, you really want to minimize your time in front of an open flame, right? Season each side of chicken with seasoned salt (I use Penzey’s 4S on anything I grill), cumin and cracked black pepper. Set into a bowl and add sliced bell pepper.



Trim your onion so that the root end is intact (so it will stay together on the grill), cutting it into large quarters, or eighths and add them to the bowl as well. Pour over the chicken and vegetables the juice from one lime and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Set in the fridge until you’re ready to grill. I only marinated this for about 15 minutes and the flavors came through very well, so while it’s not necessary to marinate for 30 minutes or more, it can’t hurt, just depends on your timing.



Grill over medium high heat until chicken is cooked through and the veggies are charred in spots. Serve with warm tortillas, guacamole, sour cream and tomatillo salsa, with black bean and corn salad on the side (and a six pack of ice cold Negro Modelos for good measure)

apparently so

Alive? Well, yes I am. Bad at time management? Apparently so. A terrible cook? Judging from the last two things I made: maybe? I have a policy of total honestly here when it comes to food and how it tastes. Because I think it's simply rude to present something as delicious when it is decidedly less than. So last Thursday I made a fancy fish dinner in the hopes that it would be tasty and attractive, which are the two requirements of any thing I post up here. I thought I would get a little Asian-fusion-y on some halibut and attempted to roast it en papillote with mushrooms and say sauce and honey and ginger and scallions and all that good stuff. Sounds good, right? Well...it came out really bad. So bad that I ended up eating hummus on crisp bread to fill up the rest of my belly. What a bummer that was (not the hummus, I always like that, but the ruining of the dinner). So with that failure, and with life being a little hectic and time in the kitchen being a little unattainable the past two weeks, I've got a big fat goose egg for a post right now. The best I can do is this attractive picture of broccoli. Will this hold you over? A real post with real food is in the works, I promise.

just what to do with it

You can probably imagine that being a super celebrity food blogger of my status, I have products thrown at me daily. Marketing departments are begging me to feature their latest and greatest snack food, frosting mix or particular brand of plastic wrap. Why just last week I was approached by the Soup Appreciation Counsel of New England and named Most Dedicated to Lentils for 2012. Would you believe that? 



No? No takers? Well, obviously I’ve never gotten any type of product sent to me in my life, in fact, I’ve never really gotten many care packages at all, because I was the youngest and my mom is kind of like me in that she’ll have the package ready, but it will ride around in her back seat for three weeks and then she'll just hand it to you when you get home and maybe one of the packages of cookies has been opened. Thought that counts, right? The only time I got exciting mail was when my biffle Neens used to work for a record company and every few weeks I would get a truckload of Fatboy Slim records and a ton of stickers (which was awesome by the way because I was equally into techno music and stickers in the early 2000s, go figure). So what I’m trying to get at is I felt like a bit of a baller last week when a care package from Goya arrived on my doorstep. Packages for moi? Or should I say packages for yo? Filled with quinoa and beans? How did they know I’m so into ancient grains and legumes?



This lovely gift came by way of one of my dear old college roommates, Natalie. Who started a company several years ago devoted to promoting and networking salsa dancing in the New York area and beyond called Salseek. Well, she must be pretty good at it, because every time I turn around she’s on the morning news in NYC shaking her hips, or she’s having gratis packages of beans and quinoa sent to me courtesy of the Latin Flavor Gods at Goya. I was especially pumped to peep the bag of quinoa since errbody knows I’m heavy into keen-WAH (potential rapper name?) and I know just what to do with it.



QUINOA SALAD with CHARRED CORN and POBLANO PEPPERS 

Quinoa, prepared according to package instructions
2 ears corn, charred or grilled
3-4 scallions, chopped
Handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
½ Poblano pepper, seeded and minced
Juice and zest from 1 lime
1 clove garlic
Olive oil (about ¼ - ½ cup)
Hot sauce
Salt and pepper



Prepare quinoa according to package instructions, standard cooking method is two parts water to one part grain and quinoa is great because it cooks up in about 20 minutes. For this recipe I used 1 cup of uncooked quinoa, which ends up making just shy of three cups cooked. Remove corn from its husks and clean completely. Place directly on your gas grill to cook, or, if you’re a thrill seeking type, you can do what I do and blacken it right on the open flame of your gas stove. Just place an ear right on the flame and move it every few moments until nicely blackened in spots. Be careful not only because you are dealing with an open flame, a kernel bursts every now and then sending hot corn water in many directions.



Once charred and cooled, slice the kernels off the cobs and set aside. Chop cilantro, pepper and scallions. Mince garlic clove, sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and then use the side of your knife to scrape it into the cutting board, until it makes a paste. This will mellow it out a little so there is no harsh raw garlic flavor in the finished salad. Zest and juice your limes and set both aside.



In a large bowl combine lime juice with olive oil, garlic, lime zest, a few sprinkles of hot sauce and plenty of sea salt and cracked pepper. Whisk together to combine and then add herbs, corn and minced peppers; toss together. Add quinoa and combine completely. This salad is citrusy, crunchy and fresh, with just a tiny tinge of heat.



It’s perfect to eat as a side dish to any grilled protein, but also great to spoon on top of a salad to bulk it up and add a little more density. You could swap out the veggies and herb for anything you had on hand and trade the lime juice for lemon, or perhaps a dash of vinegar. It’s very simple, but fresh and tasty. Perfect warm weather food.