Flavors in Love

If you are a New Yorker…then you know how long it takes for spring
to REALLY arrive.  Too often on the east coast we get tastes or hints of spring days in late March and early April, only to be followed by more snow, and more cold.  However, this past weekend, I feel that spring REALLY arrived and my New York world started smiling again after a long winter, and many false starts to the much awaited spring.

As we all know, pollen is not the only thing in the spring air…and with the cherry blossoms, spring dresses, muscle tee shirts and crocus comes a rejuvenated spring bloom of aliveness amongst the minds and hearts of all New Yorkers.  AND, for the food lover, that aliveness is coupled by an excitement for Spring Vegetables!

When I don’t know exactly what I want to cook, I use the grocery store for inspiration.  This past Sunday was such an occasion, and although I knew I wanted the meal to have the pinks and greens colors of spring, I wasn’t sure exactly what it would be.  However, as I was perusing the Whole Foods isles I came across some very good looking ”fat leeks” as they are called.  They made me think about one of the best meals I had in Paris last year as we started that meal off with a leeks vinagrette.  I also found some fresh beets and put together a very simple dish of roasted beets and  leeks vinaigrette. I seriously can’t believe I don’t make this more often…it is so good and so so simple.  Beets are one of my favorite vegetables and when you roast them, they get even sweeter.  Add the tartness of the vinaigrette to the leeks which get soft and soak up all the juices, and you have yourself a perfect spring side dish or first course that virtually anybody can make.  Plus, the colors are sensational too

In addition to this perfect first course, I also found some fava beans at Gourmet Garage.  I was excited because fava beans and fresh Pecorino is a typical combination found in Italy in the spring and thus, inspired me to make my first fava bean spread of the season…one of my best recipes. It’s really an appetizer, very similar to pesto as it’s a puree made with basil, mint, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and garlic.  I have been making this fava bean spread for years and I serve it with some toasted or grilled sour dough bread brushed with a little olive oil.  This is always on of the first things that friends and family ask me to make when they visit and with a refreshing  glass of Italian Pinot Grigio, it makes another perfect spring appetizer .  And what a gorgeous spring color!!!

Here are the recipes:

Hello everyone…  

 I am very excited about this post.  Besides the exceptional food we created for this past Sunday Supper, I am eager to introduce you to the outstanding company that helped me cook this dinner. 
 
Last Sunday I had the great honor and pleasure of cooking with one of the most extraordinary woman I know.  Regena Thomashauer.. who I call “Mama Gena” is an outstanding women’s coach, mentor and teacher.  This is a woman who has huge heart and an unbridled passion for helping women use the power of pleasure to have their way with the world. Regena Thomashauer is the founder and head of “Mama Gena’s School Of Womanly Arts.”    www.mamagenas.com 

I have been working with Mama Gena for over a year now and as a result of her work, not only feel far more deeply connected to my “inner Goddess” so to speak…but feel  
that I am able to greatly experience the pleasures of every part of my life in a  
more sensual and palpable way.  When she asked me to give her a private cooking class, I couldn’t have been more excited.  I had been wanting to give something back to her since I started working with her, and what better way to do so than to engage in one of the most pleasurable activities out there…eating! 

So, this past Sunday we decided to cook for some of our mutual  friends and her daughter Maggie Maggie wanted something Mexican, and  I wanted to teach Regena how to make the best roast chicken in the world, so we made a compromise and I created this menu:  

Mango Margaritas 

Mexican Spice Rubbed Chicken

Tortillas and Freshly Made Guacamole 

Chopped Salad with Jicama and Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette  

Cumin Scented Black Beans 

and of course…

Healthy Chocolate for Dessert  
 

Talk about pleasure!  
Here are the recipes and some photos.  Please enjoy and make sure to  
check out Mama-Gena’s website… www.mamagenas.com

ULTIMATE GUACAMOLE   ( The real deal)      

Serves four 

1 teaspoon. finely minced jalapeno pepper  
4 tablespoons. chopped white onion* 
4 teaspoons. chopped coriander 
1/2 tsp. salt

juice of  ½ lime

Freshly ground pepper to taste

2 Ripe Haas Avocadoes

½ cup seeded and chopped plum tomatoes

Tortilla chips or fresh corn tortillas ** 

Preparation:

In a mixing bowl, combine the jalapeno, onion, coriander, salt and lime juice. Using the back of a wooden spoon, thoroughly mash these ingredients until you get a juicy paste.  
 
Split the avocados in half lengthwise and remove the seed. Using a knife, section the

inside into approximately ½ inch cubes. Stir these chunks into the bowl and mash with the back of the fork until the mixture is rather smooth. ( if you like your guacamole chunky, make sure not to mash it too much)

Stir in the chopped tomato and serve. 
   
 
*Mexicans use the white onion specifically 
** Although Americans eat guacamole with tortilla chips the proper way to serve guacamole is inside a fresh warm corn tortilla. 

Note:  You can also garnish with more onion, cilantro and jalapeno if you wish.

 

MY FAVORITE ROAST CHICKEN WITH GOAT CHEESE AND MEXICAN SPICES STUFFED UNDER THE SKIN

Serves 4-6   

2/3 cup ( about 6 ounces) soft, fresh goat cheese, at room temperature

½ cup finely chopped cilantro

1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped

3 ½ tablespoons Roasted Garlic Puree

1 Tablespoon Orange rind

Mexican spices ( can buy a mix in grocery store)

¼ t chipotle chili powder

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 orange cut in half

1 large roasting chicken, about 3 ½ pounds ( preferably organic)

½ cup white wine

1 cup good quality chicken broth 

For gravy

2 cups chicken stock or good quality chicken broth

1 cup white wine

Juice of 1 orange

2 T maple syrup

Dash of chipotle powder 

Roast the garlic according to instructions and mash up cloves and put aside in a small bowl.   

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the goat cheese, coriander, shallot, garlic puree, orange rind, and 1 T Mexican spice,  ¼ t chili powder, olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper 

Pat the chicken dry. Salt and pepper the chicken and rub the Mexican spice onto the back side of the chicken. Salt and pepper back side of the chicken. Turn chicken over. . Loosen the skin over the breast meat, thighs and as far down the legs as possible by gently sliding your fingers between the skin and the meat, avoid tearing the skin.  Stuff the cheese mixture under the skin of the breasts, thighs and legs, using it all.

Rub 1 teapsoon Mexican spice onto the top of the chicken . Salt and pepper.  Squeeze the juice from the orange all over the chicken.  Put ½ of the orange inside the cavity of the chicken..  

Drizzle with olive oil   Set chicken on a rack in a roasting pan or a baking sheet..  Add the broth and wine to the bottom of the pan

.Place foil over the chicken and put chicken in oven covered for 1 hour. 

For gravy:

In a small saucepan, boil the stock, white wine, maple syrup and orange juice and !/4 t. chilpotle powder until reduced by half. 

After an hour, take the foil off the chicken and add the wine and orange juice mixture to the bottom of the pan.and continue cooking for 15 minutes.  Open the oven and spoon the juices accumulating on the bottom of the pan over the chicken.

Continue cooking until chicken skin is crispy and the meat is just cooked through while remaining juicy, 20-30 minutes.  

.

Remove the chicken from the oven, pour off the pan juices into a gravy strainer.

Strain the gravy into a small saucepan on top of stove.

Boil until gravy is reduced and thick…. 5 minutes.

Transfer to a gravy boat. 

Carve the chicken and arrange it on a platter garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve the chicken warm or at room temperature with the gravy on the side.  
 

Serve with chicken with warm tortillas, guacamole, fresh cilantro and cumin scented black beans. 

Quick Cumin Scented Black Beans

Serves 6 1 Tablespoon freshly ground cumin ( ground in a spice grinder)

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 cans organic black beans

2 cans fire roasted chopped tomatoes

¼ teaspoon chilpotle chili spice

3 tablespoons fresh cilantro

Juice from 1 lime 

Heat olive oil in a medium sized sauce pan.  Saute onions and garlic for 5 minutes until soft.  Add Cumin and sauté.   Add tomatoes and sauté for 5 minutes then add black beans, salt and pepper.   Let simmer on stove for 15 minutes to 20 minutes until beans are thick.   

Add fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro.

Though I am a New York City girl (crazy since I grew up in the Boonies of Nowhere Texas) everybody needs a break from the hustle and bustle once in a while.  In my case, I am grateful because my older brother has a house in South Beach Miami, and whenever I need a dose of ocean air, or some “trendy” nightlife…or anything in between, I allow myself the luxury of hopping on the three hour flight and staying with my bro.   New York was freezing as usual this past winter so getting off the plane in South Beach was definitely a nice treat.   

And…speaking of TREATS, Scott Conant has a new restaurant, “Scarpetta” in the newly renovated Fontainbleu building in Miami.  I had been anxious to eat here since it opened and took this trip to FL as an opportunity to satiate my love of his elegant approach to very  simple Italian cuisine.  We ate there on a Friday night and I was pleased to see how busy it was.  It’s nice to know that the current state of our economy hasn’t impacted all the food lovers in the world…   

My meal consisted of an organic beet, endive and raddichio salad, and for an entree, my friends and I ordered Scott’s spaghetti with tomatoes and basil.  As somebody who has spent their life eating, learning, exploring and tasting different kinds of foods…especially these days when chef’s sometimes try to over compensate by making their dishes  overly-complex… a lot of time (not all the time) it’s really the the most simple dishes with the finest and freshest ingredients…cooked to perfection that truly satisfy my palate..  This dish is as simple as it gets….. spaghetti, tomatoes and basil.  But the manner in which it is  prepared, the pasta made fresh and cooked to a perfect al dente……fresh organic tomatoes and freshly picked basil…all made this dish perfectly simple, elegant and of course, worthy of a spotless plate.  

In addition to the food that we ordered, Scott also sent us a complimentary polenta with wild mushrooms….very Italian… it’s just cooked cornmeal, but  Scott’s polenta is rich, creamy and flavorful…truly one of the best polenta dishes I have had.  He adds cream and parmesan and then preserved truffles and a mix of wild mushrooms… a simple dish but unsurpassed in richness.   

As far as food is concerned…my Miami trip did not end there.  My brother’s kitchen is one of my favorite kitchens to cook.  It is so spacious…has a huge marble island and top quality cooking equipment…and pretty much anything a happy chef needs to do some damage!   This Sunday I decided to cook for a group of 30 of his friends. 

My brother is very spontaneous and young at heart and very frequently decides to throw last minute dinner parties, jam sessions (he is a great piano player) and everything in between.    So, like the great sister I am, I rolled up my sleeves and drove to the Whole Foods on  Alton Road and came up with the menu impromptu.  Cooking on the “fly” is very much like a jazz musician.  Improvising is what makes it exciting.  Following a recipe is always fun…like reading music, but coming up with something off the top of your head  is one of my favorite things about cooking.   

Here’s the menu I came up with!

Braised Red Snapper Mediterranean

Grilled Tuscan Steaks

Broccolini Sauteed in Olive Oil, Garlic and Lemon Juice

Roasted Rosemary New Potatoes

Salad of Watercress, Bibb, Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Olives and Feta 

 

Recipe    Red Snapper Mediterranean   

Serves 6     

3  red snapper filets ( ½ pound each) skin on, trimmed and pin bones taken out   

2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary   

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped   

1 tablespoon Italian parsley, roughly chopped   

1 ½ cups fresh fennel, sliced into thin rounds   

½ cup shallots, sliced into thin rounds   

10 pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half   

6 roasted plum tomatoes ( recipe attached) or buy at specialty  food  store, or sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil   

2 teaspoons capers, rinsed    juice of one lemon   

salt and freshly ground pepper   

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil   

2 tablespoons white wine     

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lay one sheet of foil onto baking sheet.  Place filets in the center of foil.  Season the fish generously with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with  rosemary, thyme, fennel slices, shallots, olives, roasted tomatoes and  capers, Squeeze the lemon over fish and drizzle with olive oil and  white wine.  Lay another piece of foil the same size over the fish and  roll edges to seal the fish.  Place fish in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Take out of oven and  let sit for a few minutes.  Open foil carefully and use a spatula to  place fish on plate. Spoon vegetables and sauce over the fish.  Serve  immediately.     

Note:    This recipe can be used with just about any firm white fish.  It is  essentially fool-proof as long as you don’t overcook