Flavors in Love

 As many of you already know, I teach a series of intimate cooking classes called Flirting with Flavors. My goal is to make cooking fun and sexy, and inspire all of you to get in the kitchen and put the sizzle back in your lives. One of the fundamental techniques that I teach is how to season and grill a perfect piece of fish….My guy Michael went fishing with his family last weekend off the coast of Montauk and caught nearly 120 pounds of striped bass!!!  I have been grilling that beautiful bass all week and I wanted to share with you two of my favorite preparations…..

And remember, if you want to keep it hot in the kitchen, sign up for my Fall Cooking Classes by clicking HERE.

HERB MARINATED GRILLED STRIPED BASS:
Serves 2

1 pound fresh striped bass fillet
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme
1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper

In a shallow dish, marinate the fish with all the above ingredients for 1 hour.
Preheat a grill or a grill pan over medium heat. Lay the fish on the grill, and cook, turning only once. Cover and cook until fish is moist and barely flaking – about 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.

Serve immediately with one of the following salsas;

ITALIAN TOMATO AND CORN SALSA:

4 tablespoons olive oil

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped

12 medium sized ripe tomatoes, halved, seeds squeezed out, chopped into ½ inch pieces

Pinch sugar

1 tablespoon dried oregano, or 3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped

½ teaspoon dried chili flakes

2 teaspoons salt

Freshly ground pepper

4 ears fresh corn, shucked and kernels removed

2 tablespoons fresh basil, julienned

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and onions, and cook on medium heat until very soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat often to prevent burning. Add the tomatoes, sugar, oregano, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Let simmer, stirring often, about 20 minutes until almost all liquid is absorbed. Stir the corn kernels and basil in the warm sauce.  Cook on low heat for 30 seconds. Adjust seasoning.

Grilled bass with corn and leek salsa

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2 leeks, white part only, cleaned and finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ cup roasted tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped

4 ears fresh corn, kernels removed

1 bunch swiss chard, washed, cleaned and chopped into small pieces, stems included

2 tablespoons fresh thyme

1 tablespoons fresh rosemary

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil and butter. Add leeks and cook until soft and silky, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes on low heat. Stir in tomatoes, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add fresh corn and chard and season all with rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another minute. Serve alongside the fish.

I have just returned from another magnificent visit to Provence, France (stay tuned for my travel blog…coming soon!). I remembered when I arrived that one of my favorite things about being in Provence is the smell..fresh herbs like rosemary, lavender, and thyme, growing wild on every bush. It inspired me to come home and make this flavorful grilled steak recipe from my cookbook…similar to a steak au poivre, but perked up with a Provencal influence.
It is easy to make and wonderfully satisfying to eat! And leftover steak (which is doubtful!) makes a great sandwich or salad the next day…
 

In a field of lavender, Provence

GRILLED STEAKS WITH PEPPERY LEMON-HERB MARINADE

Serves 6-8

Ingredients: 
4 boneless sirloin or rib eye steaks (about 1 1/2 inches thick) 
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons thyme, finely chopped 
6 teaspoons whole black peppercorns 
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Salt

Lay the steaks in a large, shallow dish just large enough to hold them comfortably. Pour 1/2 cup of the lemon juice over them. In a food processor, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons lemon juice, olive oil, herbs, peppercorns, lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon salt, and process until a paste forms (bits of peppercorn should remain visible). Spread the paste over the steaks, cover them, and marinate for 2 hours or up to 12 hours. (If you marinate for longer than 2 hours, put steaks in the fridge). Return steaks to room temperature before grilling.

Prepare a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove steaks from marinade and grill, turning once, about 12 minutes total, or until done to your liking.

Transfer steaks to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice against the grain into thin slices. Season lightly with salt. Serve warm.

Hope you all have a wonderful and delicious end to Summer, and join me in welcoming Fall with open arms..

Flavorfully Yours,

Pamela

What do you do with all the eggplant from your garden or local vegetable stand? This is one of my favorite mezze spreads and it is perfect end of the summer fare. The eggplant is grilled, which gives it such a deep smoky flavor….along with grilled tomatoes, garlic, lemon and tahini. To compliment it perfectly, I made some pita bread crisps drizzled with olive oil and za’atar spice. This recipe is so easy to make and so satisfying, I hope you give it a try!

Grilled Eggplant-Tomato Dip with Za’atar Spiced Pita Chips

Eggplant-Tomato Dip:

(Makes about 4 cups)

Ingredients:

* 2 cups wood chips, preferably hickory (optional)

* 2 medium eggplants (1 ½ pounds total), trimmed and sliced ½ inch thick

* 2 large ripe tomatoes, about 1 ½ pounds total, trimmed and cut horizontally into thirds

* ¼ cup olive oil

* 3 tablespoons tahini

* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

* 2 tablespoons minced garlic

* 2 teaspoons soy sauce

* 1 ¼ teaspoons salt

* 1 teaspoon Tabasco Pepper Sauce

* 1 ¼ teaspoons Asian sesame oil

* ½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

* 2 teaspoons coarsely ground toasted cumin seeds or smoked paprika

Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill (medium-high). When the fire is hot, distribute the wood chips if you are using them. Position the grill rack about 6 inches above the heat.

Lightly brush the eggplant and tomato slices on all sides with the oil. Lay the vegetables on the rack. Cover and grill, turning the vegetables once, until the eggplant is well browned and tomatoes are lightly browned and very tender, about 10 minutes total. Remove from the grill and cool to room temperature.

Roughly chop the eggplant and tomato. In a food processor, combine the chopped vegetables, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce, salt, sesame oil and Tabasco and process until almost smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. (Or, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight or for up to 3 days. Return to room temperature if chilled.)

Stir in the parsley. Adjust the seasoning. Spoon the eggplant mixture into the center of a platter. Sprinkle evenly with cumin or smoked paprika. Serve at room temperature.

Note: Though the smoky accent of the grill makes this spread particularly delicious, the vegetables can also be roasted in the oven. Preheat it to 450F, brush the eggplant slices and tomatoes with oil and roast until browned and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool and then proceed with the recipe.

Oven-Baked Pita Chips with Za’atar

(Serves 6 to 8 )

 Ingredients:

* 6, 6-inch white or whole-wheat pita breads, each cut into 6 equal wedges

* ¼ cup olive oil (see note)

* 4 tablespoons za’atar spice

* 1/8 teaspoon salt

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

 Lightly brush the pita wedges on both sides with olive oil, transferring them to a baking sheet as you go (the wedges need not lie in a single layer). In a small bowl, stir together the za’atar and salt. Sprinkle this mixture over the chips, stirring and turning them several times as you do so to coat them evenly on both sides.

Set the baking sheet in the over and bake the chips, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned and crunchy, about 15 minutes.

Cool the chips on the pan on a rack. Store airtight at room temperature. Re-warm the chips for serving if desired. 

Note: Roasted garlic-flavored olive oil, available in specialty food shops and some supermarkets, makes a nice substitution here.

The summer is (sadly) coming to an end and sweet local corn will soon be a thing of the past. Here is one of my favorite corn recipes, Sweet Corn and Crab Cakes with Chipotle Remoulade…And to end the summer with flavor, click HERE to sign up for my September Cooking Classes.

SWEET CORN AND CRAB CAKES

* ¼ cup mayonnaise

* 1 large egg

* 1 teaspoon hot sauce

* 1 pound jumbo lump crab

* 1 cup bread crumbs

* ½ cup sweet summer corn kernels

* 1/3 cup finely diced roasted pepper

* 3 tablespoons olive oil

* Chipotle Remoulade to garnish your cakes with, optional

In a bowl, whisk together the mayo, egg and hot sauce. Add the crab, bread crumbs, corn, and pepper. Mix well, breaking up some of the lumps of crabmeat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Divide the crab mixture into approximately 8 equal portions, then form each portion into a cake, transferring the cakes as formed to a flat baking sheet.

In a large, heavy nonstick skillet (work in batches so you don’t crowd the pan), warm some of the olive oil over medium heat. With a spatula, carefully slide the crab cakes into the skillet. Cover and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Carefully turn the cakes, cover the skillet and cook until golden brown, crisp and just cooked through while remaining moist, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Serve some of the Remoulade on top of, underneath, or beside the cakes.

CHIPOTLE REMOULADE:

* 1 cup mayonnaise

* 4 teaspoons finely chopped scallions

* 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chiles in adobo

* 2 teaspoons lime juice

* 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

In a bowl, stir together the mayo, scallion, chipotles, lime, and mustard. Keep in fridge for up to 3 days.

If you have only enjoyed clams dipped in melted butter in a shack near the Connecticut shore, or perhaps steamed open in white wine with garlic in Little Italy, you are going to be pleasantly surprised by how deliciously colorful and different they are in this Mexican-inspired preparation. Digging into a briny bowl of these spicy bivalves, their broth mopped up with good bread, the whole business washed down with plenty of cold beer, is the best kind of festive, laid-back outdoor eating I know!

Baja Beach Clams Steamed in Beer

(Serves 4 as an appetizer, 2 as a main course)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small, fresh jalapeno chile, stemmed, and seeded if desired, and sliced into thin rounds
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2 large plum tomatoes, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 2 cups light lager beer, such as Corona
• 24 small hard-shelled clams (littlenecks), well scrubbed and rinsed
• 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
• Wedges of lime, as optional accompaniment.

In a large, heavy pot over low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the jalapeno and garlic, cover and cook, stirring once or twice, for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and green onion, raise the heat slightly and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the beer and clams. Cover the pan and raise the heat. Cook the clams, stirring them occasionally, and transfer them with a slotted spoon as they open to shallow serving bowls. (The time will vary, for only a few minutes to as long as 20.) Discard any clams that have not opened after 20 minutes. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer set over a deep bowl or measuring cup. Spoon the tomato mixture from the strainer over the clams, dividing it equally. Let the broth settle briefly, then spoon it over the clams, leaving the sandy residue behind.

Sprinkle the cilantro over the clams and serve immediately, accompanied by lime wedges for squeezing if desired.

What are you making for dinner tonight? How about my Grilled Duck Breast with Indian Spices?? You know how I feel about flavor, and this dish is exploding with flavor…a spicy marinade, a sweet relish, and the smoke of the grill. Give it a try!!

And don’t forget to register for my August Cooking Classes in the Hamptons!!! Click HERE to sign up today!!

Grilled Duck Breast with Indian Spices and Apricot-Tomato Relish

(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon minced orange zest
• 1½ tablespoons Garam Masala (an Indian spice blend)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ^1/₈ cayenne pepper
• 2 boneless duck breasts, about 3 pounds total
• 2 cups hickory or apple wood chips, optional
• Sprigs of fresh cilantro, as garnish
• Apricot-Tomato Relish (recipe follows, as accompaniment)

In a small, nonreactive saucepan, combine the soy sauce, orange juice and orange zest. Cover tightly, set over low heat and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 5 minutes; cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, stir together the garam masala, salt, black pepper and cayenne. In a shallow, nonreactive dish, rub the spice mixture firmly into the duck breasts on all sides. Drizzle the soy mixture evenly over all sides of the duck breasts. Cover and let stand, turning occasionally, at room temperature for 2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight. Return to room temperature if chilled.

Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill (medium-high). When fire is hot, distribute the wood chips if you are using them. Position the grill rack about 6 inches above the heat.

When the grill is hot, lay the duck breasts on the rack. Cover and grill, basting the breasts with any marinade remaining in the dish and turning them once, until the marinade is used up and they are done to your liking, about 10 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.

Carve the duck breasts across the grain and at an angle into thin slices. Arrange on a platter. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm or at room temperature, accompanied by the relish.

Apricot-Tomato Relish

(Makes about 4 cups)

• 2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 pound fresh apricots, pitted and chopped
• 2 cups chopped yellow onion
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• ½ cup sugar
• ^1/₃ cup chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ cup finely chopped cilantro

 In a large, heavy, nonreactive pan, combine the tomatoes, apricots, onion, vinegar, sugar, ginger, garlic, salt, red pepper and nutmeg. Cover, set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Uncover and cook, stirring often, until the relish has thickened and is reduced to 4 cups, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. The relish can be prepared up to 1 week ahead. Return it to room temperature. Stir the cilantro into the relish and adjust the seasoning just before serving.

I hope you’re enjoying your summer. Farmers Markets around the country are teeming with delectable fruits and vegetables.

Heirloom Tomatoes at the Union Square Farmers Market

This is the time to cook, and often we don’t feel like making anything complicated. I love to make salads in the summer for lunch or dinner. This is one of my favorites. It has Greek accents and lots of flirty flavors.

Check out this video by Blend for Plum TV. Make sure to watch every weekend on Channel 18 in the Hamptons.

Also, there are still spaces open for my August 23rd and August 28th Cooking Classes in the Hamptons!! Click HERE to register!

FLIRTY GREEK SALAD:

Serves 4

1 cucumber, peeled and roughly cut

3 tomatoes roughly chopped, seeds scooped out and discarded

Half of a red onion, roughly chopped

1 cup of pitted Kalamata olives, halved

1/2 cup of fresh mint, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Combine in a large bowl the cucumber, tomato, red onion, olives, and mint. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the vinegar and oil. Toss well. Then add the feta and gently toss again.

Ceslie Armstrong from the You, Better show asked to come to my kitchen last week during her Fashion Week reporting. She requested that I cook a healthy and stylish dish for her audience, so I created this recipe. This is truly healthy cooking at its finest…. teeming with great Asian flavors, gluten-free, and quick enough for a busy weeknight. It’s healthy, Better!

SEARED LOIN OF TUNA WITH WATERCRESS SALAD AND SHIRATAKI NOODLES:

SEARED LOIN OF TUNA:

Serves 4

2 tablespoons soy sauce, reduced salt

3 tablespoons grated ginger (on microplane)

2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated (on microplane)

Freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 pound sashimi quality fresh tuna loin, cut into 3 x 1 inch pieces.

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

3 scallions, finely chopped

In small bowl,  stir together the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, 1 Tablespoon sesame oil, and lime juice.  Place tuna in a shallow container and marinate with the ginger/garlic/soy mixture.  Add a generous grinding of pepper to the tuna, and marinate  for 1 to 2 hours.

In a heavy skillet over medium heat, warm the other tablespoon of  oil until hot.  Add the tuna to the skillet and sear, turning occasionally, until well-browned  on all sides and pink in the center, 4-5 minutes.

Transfer to a cutting board, slice thin and serve with the watercress salad and noodles.

Drizzle with the wasabi vinaigrette and garnish with sesame seeds and scallion.

WASABI VINAIGRETTE:

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon wasabi paste

Generous grinding of black pepper

1/2 cup canola oil

In a small food processor (or by hand in a bowl with a whisk), combine the vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, wasabi, and pepper. Process or whisk until smooth. Slowly add the oil, while mixing. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before using.

WATERCRESS SALAD:

2 bunches watercress, cleaned well and tough stems removed

1/4 cup shredded daikon radish

1/4 cup shredded carrot

1/4 cup shredded purple cabbage

Arrange the watercress on the plate and top with daikon, carrot, and cabbage. Drizzle with a little of the vinaigrette.

SHIRATAKI NOODLES:

1 package Shirataki noodles

2 scallions, finely chopped

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Cook noodles according to package instruction. Drain and rinse. Drain again and dry as much as possible. Serve alongside tuna and salad. Toss with vinaigrette and garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.

Do you ever eat at a restaurant and love a dish so much that you want to recreate it at home? This is one of the reasons I started cooking. When I first came to New York City in my early 20′s from Texas, everything I tasted was new. I started experimenting and trying dishes that I ate in restaurants. I still do the same thing today.

On vacation in Provence this summer, we ate at a great little neighborhood place called Le Bistro des Alpilles in Saint-Remy. One of the meals I had there was a simple little dish of sauteed langoustines with a puree of fennel and potato. It was so clean and precise. I vowed to make it myself when I got home….

BISTROT DES ALPILLES VERSION......

So I did!

MY VERSION.......

Fennel-Potato Puree: Serves 2
1 fennel bulb

2 small Yukon gold potatoes

1 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1 tablespoon salt

Peel the potatoes and roughly chop the fennel, removing the hard core in the center. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the potatoes and fennel with the rest of the ingredients. Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.

In a food processor, puree the mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Sauteed Shrimp with Pernod: Serves 2

(Pernod is the name brand of a type of French alcohol called Pastis. It has a licorice flavor and is great to cook with)

Clean a pound of jumbo shrimp and season it with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat a skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.

Add the shrimp to the pan with a generous sprinkling of fresh thyme. Saute just until the shrimp is opaque and pink on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip the shrimp over and add a splash of Pernod to the pan (about 1/4 cup). Continue cooking 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately with the fennel-potato puree.

Being able to relax and cook your food outdoors over an open flame is such a treat. Its one of the best things about summer!

Corn and tomatoes are at their peak right now and we are picking tomatoes from our garden every weekend. I chose this menu to highlight both of those ingredients.

I became aware of Lava Lake lamb when I saw a woman in Citarella doing a demo of these lamb chops. I love it when a meal is delicious, eco-conscious, and easy to prepare, so these really caught my attention. I bought these Lava Lake lamb chops because I believe that eating grass-fed, all-natural meat is so much better for you. These lambs have never been given hormones or antibiotics and have never been placed in feed lots.

GRILLED LAMB CHOPS:

8 Grass-fed Lava Lake lamb chops

3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

Combine all of the ingredients above and marinate the lamb chops for at least 30 minutes. Grill them for about three minutes per side, to a perfect medium rare.

They were so juicy and flavorful….lots of mmms and ahhhhs at my table.

Along with the lamb, I served grilled sweet corn with a chipotle aioli and a tomato salad with watercress, basil, fresh mozzarella, and a balsamic vinaigrette. At this time of year I eat as much corn as possible..its just so sweet. And the adobo sauce from the chipotles is smoky and spicy…it marries perfectly with the crunchy sweetness of the corn.

When I’m out in the Hamptons, I buy my corn from my favorite vegetable stand, Pike Farms.

SWEET CORN WITH CHIPOTLE AIOLI:

8 ears of corn

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chiles

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 minced garlic cloves

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon Mexican spice mix

Peel the husk down on the corn and remove the silk underneath, but leave the husks attached. Soak the corn in water for 10 minutes.

Combine in a bowl the mayonnaise, adobo sauce, lime juice, garlic cloves, smoked paprika, and Mexican spice mix.

Grill the corn about 7 minutes, then roll over onto the other side and grill 7 minutes more.

Remove the husk and slather with the chipotle aioli….then listen to the sounds of lip smacking enjoyment…Serve with plenty of napkins!!