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.

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.

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.

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!!