THE FOOD OF LOVE by JMLK

THE FOOD OF LOVE BY JESS AND LUKE

The Food of Love Text, recipes, and design copyright ÂŠ Jess Kwong and Luke Boland, JessLuke.com. All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Strauss Mouse Press. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the publisher. This edition printed by Circle Press in New York City First printing, August 2016

SONNET CXVI Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove. O no! it is an ever-fixèd mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wand’ring bark, Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle’s compass come; Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me prov’d, I never writ, nor no man ever lov’d.

William Shakespeare

THE FOOD OF LOVE One of our favorite things to do together is cook for our friends and family. To us, home-cooked food is one of the purest expressions of love, and there’s no better way to bring people together than with a delicious meal. In that spirit, we’ve written this collection of our best recipes for you, complete with suggested beverage pairings from your favorite sommelier. We hope you’ll enjoy making these dishes, eat them in good health, and share them with the people you love! Jess + Luke A few preliminary notes… ! American units of measurement are used throughout (cups, Fahrenheit, etc.). We recognize that it’s an inferior system, but it’s what we grew up with! ! Most of these recipes make about 3-4 servings but sometimes you won’t see precise quantities listed. Often, this is because the relative amounts of seasoning will depend on taste and the quality of your produce (are you using tomatoes in January, for example? You may need to supplement sugar…or use canned tomatoes). Don’t be scared. Trust your gut. ! You may notice that some of these recipes are quite labor-intensive—again, don’t be scared. Never give up. Pressure makes diamonds. ! Finally, ‘I’ sometimes means Jess and sometimes means Luke. We’ll let you figure out who’s who!

CONTENTS BREAKFAST Sausage and Root Vegetable Frittata...................................1 Croque Madame .....................................................................3 Luke’s Famous Eggs Benedict .............................................5 APPETIZERS Crabetizer ................................................................................6 The Only Way Brussels Sprouts Should Be Eaten ...........7 Coleslaw...................................................................................8 Onion Soup...........................................................................10 Cheese Soufflé ......................................................................12 MAINS Chicky Pot Pie ......................................................................13 Shep’s P (Shepherd’s Pie)....................................................17 Cacio e Pepe..........................................................................20 Lasagna Bolognese...............................................................22 Cavatelli with Pumpkin And Sage .....................................26 Bucatini All’Amatriciana .....................................................25 Coo-Coo-Cacciucco.............................................................26 Poisson en Papillote (a.k.a. Bag Fish) ...............................29 Jess’ Roast chicken ...............................................................31 Beef Goulash and Spaetzle .................................................33 DESSERTS Summertime Popsicles ........................................................36 Salted Caramel Apple pie ....................................................38 Peach, Damson & Ginger Crumble ..................................38

BREAKFAST SAUSAGE AND ROOT VEG FRITTATA This is a great breakfast option, particularly on a cold winter morning. When produce is not particularly abundant, root vegetables offer wonderful potential for slow-roasted deliciousness. The two most important keys to making a frittata: including cream for a fluffy texture, and not baking it for too long. Overcooked eggs severely tighten up and squeeze out moisture, causing them to be tough and chewy. Beverage Pairing: Mimosa (Prosecco + orange juice). Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re eating this in the morning, so drink some bubbles with orange juice and wake yourself up. Triple-down on your liquid intake with coffee and a big glass of water. Butternut squash, rutabaga, carrot, parsnip, other root vegetables, I like to include some red pepper too 6 eggs, plus or minus, depending on how many people are coming for breakfast Heavy cream, about Â˝ cup for every 6 eggs Sausage, chopped (most varieties will do but we love a little lamb merguez) Thyme Butter Olive oil Salt, pepper, any other seasoning essentials

Preheat your oven to 400˚F. Dice up your root veg and peppers and toss them together with olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Add a splash of cider vinegar for some brightness, if you wish. Roast until they’re toothsome, hopefully with some yummy caramelized edges. In a pan, brown the sausage. It doesn’t have to be fully cooked when you add the eggs; you just want that seared, meaty flavor. Whisk the eggs with the cream and a pinch of salt with cracked black pepper. When the sausage is browned, add the vegetables and the egg and stir together. You’ll essentially start off as if you’re making scrambled eggs. Whisk vigorously and continuously to achieve a fine, creamy curd. When the eggs are about halfway cooked, place the whole sauté pan in the oven. High heat is good here, so about 400 degrees is fine. The cooking process should be fast, achieve some fluffy lift from the eggs, and lead to a cloud of eggy goodness. The final step doesn’t take long (about 5 minutes in the oven)—just feel the center for a firm but yielding middle.

CROQUE MADAME While I was on exchange in France during high school, my host mom made me my very first croque madame: a hamand-cheese sandwich with béchamel and an egg on top— basically the greatest breakfast item in the world (from a country that doesn’t really do breakfast). I like my eggs as runny as possible for maximum bread saturation, but if you don’t like salmonella (or fun), feel free to flip yours. Beverage Pairing: This is a toughy, but your best bet is a growler full of fruity, well-hopped beer; try a white ale like Hitachino Nest. Light, lemony, gingery, and super refreshing. Delicate enough to offer a counterpoint to the richness of this dish with enough flavor not to get lost. Half-inch slices of crusty bread (sourdough, or any rustic country loaf will do) Gruyère cheese, sliced thinly or grated Several slices of good ham One egg for each croque Béchamel* 5 tbsp butter 5 tbsp flour 2 cups whole milk, at room temperature if possible ¼ tsp salt Fresh ground pepper, to taste 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg ½ onion 8 whole cloves 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled 1 bay leaf

Melt butter in a saucepan over moderate heat, sprinkle flour over butter, and stir. Keep stirring for a few minutes while the roux cooks. Be sure not to rush this or else the sauce will taste like raw flour! Stirring constantly, add the milk a little bit at a time. Poke the whole cloves into the onion so that it looks a bit like a savory hedgehog; add this, the garlic cloves, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and bay leaf. Once the whole mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the mixture; if it’s too bland, add salt. Heat a large frying pan, butter the bread, and spread the sauce on the non-buttered side. Layer the cheese over the sauce on one piece, ham on the other. Place buttered-sides down in the pan and fry until the cheese melts and the ham heats through. Place both halves of the sandwich into the oven under a low broiler to keep warm. Meanwhile, fry eggs as you want them. Combine the two halves of the sandwich on a plate, put the egg on top, and enjoy! *Note: You’ll find this ‘mother sauce’ (a pillar of French cuisine) appearing all over this cookbook in different variations. It’s your friend. Get comfortable with it.

LUKE’S FAMOUS EGGS BENEDICT Sorry! That’s a secret I just can’t divulge. Beverage Pairing: Your tears of frustration and one fist raised in protest.

APPETIZERS CRABETIZER A commanding presence in any holiday table-scape, the Crabetizer© has been a Boland household staple since anyone can remember. No event is complete without the creamy, seductive Crabetizer, waiting to be smeared on a Triscuit. Easy to make and incredibly powerful, use the Crabetizer wisely and responsibly. Beverage Pairing: Jack Daniel’s on the rocks or a Yeungling (especially if you’re at a Boland gathering.) 1 block of Philadelphia cream cheese. I honestly don’t even know if there are other brands of this product, but if there are, they are most certainly inferior Ketchup, but definitely not catsup Horseradish Crabmeat, 1 can if you’re average, 2 cans if you’re an animal Smear the cream cheese over the entirety of a large plate. Make cocktail sauce by combining ketchup and horseradish. I like mine aggressively spicy, so I go heavy on the horseradish. Find the balance that works for you; this pursuit can take a lifetime for some. Spread cocktail sauce over the cream cheese. Distribute crabmeat over top. A moment of reverence for the Crabetizer is expected, but then you should indulge heartily! 6

THE ONLY WAY BRUSSELS SPROUTS SHOULD BE EATEN ‘Nuff said. Beverage Pairing: Gravy. Drink gravy. This should be served at every Thanksgiving table, and gravy is essential for maximum enjoyment. That said, if you make this on another errant night, I would recommend something textural and fresh: Sauvignon Blanc, Friulano, or dry Riesling. B sprouts All the bacon Pearl onions

Preheat oven to 450˚F. Pearl onions are annoying to prepare. Put them in a small pot and cover them with water. Bring to a simmer, and then allow to cool. Use a paring knife to cut off each end and squeeze the onion out. It’s finicky, but the satisfying, crunchy bite of onion is worth it. Toss B-sprouts with olive oil, salt, pepper; roast until done. Cut bacon into strips and brown in a pan. Start with low heat, which will encourage the fat to render out, and increase heat after fat has rendered to achieve good crispy bacon. Remove the bacon, but leave the fat in the pan. Raise the heat until just below a light smoke point. Add the onions to the bacon fat to get delicious browning and caramelization. Once the onions have some good color, add the brussels sprouts and bacon and toss together. Season to your liking!

COLESLAW Notorious for my resistance to measuring ingredients, the proportions for this coleslaw have been sought after since the days of yore. Alas, I will never reveal specific amounts for the ingredients for this recipe—it’s impossible and depends on the size of the cabbage, the amount you are making, the barometric pressure, current wind speed, and the price of tea in China. I will, however, list things in order of quantity from most to least. With the spices and dressings, the only real metric that will ever succeed is taste; make the slaw early to maximize marinating and maceration. Beverage Pairing: You could opt for a classic American pilsner, but I suggest seeking more fun and complexity from your canned beers with selections from Oskar Blues. Their Dale’s Pale Ale is a BBQ favorite and will crush the other canned competition! 1 cabbage 3-4 carrots Mayonnaise Apple cider vinegar Whole grain mustard Sugar Celery seed Paprika Salt and pepper Slice the cabbage finely into long shreds. Peel and slice carrots into ling shreds as well. I would recommend as you are slicing the cabbage, season it in layers so it has some time to break down while you are busy slicing the rest. So, slice some cabbage, season with salt and a healthy dose of vinegar, and then repeat. This will help the cells of the 8

cabbage start to give up some liquid and the vegetable will begin to break down a bit by the time you are done cutting everything. Once everything is cut, it should be able to be manipulated and dressed with aplomb. I normally start with a big olâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dab of mayo, and fold it into the veggies and see what the texture is like. You want it to have a good creamy feel without it being soggy. Mustard and paprika give a good spicy seasoning, but celery seed is essential to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;classicâ&#x20AC;? coleslaw flavor. A little bit of sugar used judiciously balances the tang of the vinegar. Salt, as always, heightens the flavor of everything else. Add a dose of something, fold it together, and have a bite. Repeat until seasoning is exactly where you want it, but stop before you have eaten all the coleslaw.

ONION SOUP Soupe à l’oignon is an excellent crash course in classic cooking techniques, but also a canvas primed for personal interpretation. Depending on your style and taste, the end result can be decidedly different. The main decision is how to achieve caramelization: What type of caramelizer are you? The classic method is long and slow, sometimes taking hours, gradually coaxing the natural sugars out of the onion and allowing moisture to almost entirely evaporate until caramelization can finally begin. It takes a lot of patience and time, but yields an incredibly sweet product (we’ll let you guess which one of us prefers this method). The alternative is a high heat, aggressive caramelization, much like a sauté. The browning is much less even and hard to control, but you get a more intense flavor (with one caveat: the flavor can sometimes turn to a place of slight bitterness if you get distracted and achieve a slight char on the onions). Some people like this, some people don’t. Regardless of your method, Calvados is the liquid of love for French onion soup, and the deglazing with this wonderful spirit produces a highly enchanting aroma. The rest is easy: simmer slowly and let the intoxicating perfume permeate your living space. Beverage Pairing: While cooking, a shot of Calvados. After cooking, one more shot of Calvados. While eating, something from Alsace. I’d go with a Pinot Gris: it will provide spice, fruit, and sweetness without too much of the floral character you’d get from Gewürztraminer or Riesling. 6 onions ~6 cups of vegetable or beef stock, your choice Calvados Butter or olive oil 10

Bay leaf Thyme Salt & peps Crusty baguette, sliced in ½ inch rounds Gruyère cheese, sliced thinly Cut the onions in half and peel them. Slice finely. The hardest part is not crying too much. It can be difficult, but you must be strong. And the most important thing here is consistency of the cut. If some are really thick and others are really thin, the thin onions will burn while the thick onions have barely had time to cook. I prefer to butter as my cooking fat for onions, but olive oil will also suffice. The way you achieve browning on the onion is up to you, as I said, so make that happen. Once the onions are sufficiently browned, crank up the heat, allow the pan to get nice and hot, then remove the pan from the fire and add the calvados. If you want to try advanced maneuvers, you can allow the calvados to begin to vaporize and then tilt the pan back (away from you) towards the flame, causing the all-impressive flambé. Once the calvados has cooked off, add the stock and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Allow it to simmer for a while until some of the liquid cooks off and the flavors get nice and concentrated. I recommend waiting until the end to season: If you add too much salt at the beginning and then the liquid reduces, the soup may be too salty, which is bad. Finish with some chopped thyme, black pepper, and salt. If you’re going for extra points, interleave a few slices of baguette with gruyère in mini cocottes, fill with soup, finish with a thick layer of cheese, and broil (on a cookie sheet) until the cheese browns. Pro move. 11

CHEESE SOUFFLÉ This soufflé is sort of like mac ‘n’ cheese in cloud form. It makes a great appetizer to any meal! Beverage Pairing: Sparkling is the way to go here. All that yummy, rich, cheesy flavor needs bubbles to scrub the palate clean and fresh! To emphasize the cheese flavor, go with a Franciacorta, Cava, or even Champagne with a touch of age; if you want to offset the richness, go with a Blanc de Blancs. 4 eggs, yolks separated 1¾ cups gruyère or comté cheese, grated ¼ cup unsalted butter ½ cup plain flour 1¾ cups milk (at room temperature) ½ tsp ground nutmeg ½ tsp mustard A pinch of fine salt Freshly ground black pepper Preheat oven to 375 °F. Melt the butter over moderate heat and whisk in the flour. Cook for a few minutes, then add milk, nutmeg, mustard, and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, stirring continuously for a few minutes until it thickens, then remove from heat. Allow this to cool down, then add the egg yolks one by one, stirring constantly. Add half of the grated cheese. Whisk your egg whites to a stiff peak. Add a pinch of salt, then gently fold into the roux with the rest of the cheese. Pour into a large, buttered ramekin and bake for 30–35 minutes until it’s nice and golden brown. Serve immediately! 12

MAINS CHICKY POT PIE This recipe is not for the faint of heart, but there is no dish that is a purer distillation of love or that quintessentially encapsulates ‘comfort food’ better than chicken pot pie made from scratch. This recipe actually makes enough for two 9-inch pies, and both the filling and pastry freeze well. Trust me, your hard work will pay off! Beverage Pairing: What goes better with all that creamy, yummy chicken goodness than a big ol’ glass of Chardonnay? Drink a Meursault from Burgundy. This way, you get rich, full body, a bit of oak that gives a wonderful toasty spice to the wine, and still the bright acidity and minerality that Chardonnay should be known for. Filling 4 chicken breasts (preferably bone-in, skin-on) Olive oil Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 3 tbsp fresh thyme, off the stem 5 cups chicken stock 1¼ sticks unsalted butter 2 cups yellow onions, chopped (~2 onions) ¾ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup heavy cream 2 cups carrots, medium-diced 2 cups frozen peas 1½ cups whole pearl onions 1 cup celery, medium-diced 13

2 cups leek, diced into ½-inch half-moons ½ tbsp fresh parsley leaves, minced ¼ cup white wine (any dry white will do) Pastry Makes enough crust for two single-crust pot pies, or one double-crust. 2½ cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp salt ½ pound cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces 8-12 tbsp ice water with cider vinegar (combine 1 cup cold water, 1/8 cup cider vinegar and ice) 1 egg + 1 tbsp milk or heavy cream (for egg wash) Maldon sea salt for finishing Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. In a small vessel, mix salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of thyme leaves (rub the mixture between your fingers to help release the aromatics). Make a small space between the skin and meat and shove some of the mixture between the two. Rub the rest all over the breasts and place in oven for 40-50 minutes. Set aside to cool. While chicken is roasting, prep veggies and blanch carrots, pearl onions, and celery for 2 minutes. Peel the skins off the pearl onions, drain, and set aside. Remove the chicken from the oven, and cut meat into large chunks. Discard skin and bones and reserve the juices and fat in the baking sheet. In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock. 14

In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and sauté the onions over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add chicken juices and fat, then add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly until thick. Add salt, pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, leeks, celery, onions, parsley, remaining thyme, and white wine. Mix well. Adjust seasonings to taste. If you’re making a double-crusted pie, you’ll need to chill the chicken filling completely before using (or else it’ll melt the pie dough and that’ll be gross). If not, simply ladle enough into the pie pan and cover with crust. Pastry Whisk dry ingredients together and blend in the cold butter. The butter should be in pea-sized chunks, not too big, but not completely incorporated. Slowly add the ice water and vinegar mixture and bring the dough completely together by hand, again being careful not to overwork. Aim to create a marbleized effect, so that the butter is still visible. Divide into 2 discs, wrap in plastic and chill before use. Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Roll each piece of dough into a circle and drape one over the bottom of the pie dish. Pour in the chicken filling until level with the lip of the dish.

Brush the edges with the egg wash, then place the second round of dough on top. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t usually trim the dough because usually you can just fold the bottom crust over the top to make a good seal and a nice, thick edge. Crimp the dough or make fork-impressions to seal. If your kitchen is hot or youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been working for a while and the dough is too soft, you may want to chill the whole thing briefly before baking. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top for steam. Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce oven temp to 375 and bake for another 20-30 minutes. If the top is browning too much, cover with foil. Enjoy!

SHEP’S P (SHEPHERD’S PIE) Meat and potatoes: staples of life. Here, united in harmony in the most delicious of ways. This is a bit labor intensive, but what else are you going to do on a cold winter’s night? Technically, unless your version contains lamb, it’s called a ‘cottage’ pie. At the end of the day, we think there’s no reason to be pernickety about this—a pie by any other name would taste as good! Beverage Pairing: Meaty Red! Go for Northern Rhone Syrah. Look for names like Cornas, Hermitage, CrozesHermitage, and St. Joseph. This grape is known for having dark fruit, full body, big tannin, meaty-gamey flavors and black pepper spice. Perfect for this dish! 1½ lbs ground lamb* or beef Sirloin steak, seared and cubed Beef stock, like a quart 2 yellow onions, diced 2 carrots, diced small Peas and corn (I use frozen for this recipe because it’s easy) Red wine, preferably some you will also enjoy drinking Worcestershire sauce Tabasco sauce Salt, pepper Brown mustard 1 tbsp butter 2 tbsp flour Fresh thyme leaves 1 bay leaf 1½ lb taters — cream, butter, garlic, olive oil (these will become roasted garlic taters)

Peel and cut taters into similar shapes so they cook evenly. Put the taters into cold water and bring everything up to a simmer together, this way the outside of the tater doesn’t cook super-fast and get mealy while the inside is still raw. While the taters are heating up, slowly poach garlic in olive oil until perfectly tender and smashable. Preheat your oven to 400˚F. Heat a large sauté pan on high and add a dash of oil. Season the ground lamb and the steak. Sear the steak first; you don’t have to cook it all the way through, you just want a nice crust on the outside. Remove the steak and add the lamb into the yummy juices left behind. After browning the lamb, remove it from the pan, but leave the juices. Next, add the carrots and onion and bring the heat down to medium. You want to sweat out the vegetables bringing out their fantastic natural sweetness. Don’t be afraid to let things brown. After the onion and carrot has cooked down a bit, add a tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour. Allow this thick paste to cook for a few minutes, but pay close attention because it can burn easily at this point if the heat is too high. After the paste has cooked a bit, dump a bunch of red wine into it. Depending on how much of the red wine you have already consumed, you may be feeling a bit cheekier about how much you add. Be careful not to exhibit so much cheek so as to leave yourself with no more wine to drink. Reduce the wine a bit while stirring to bring everything together. Once reduced by about half, add in the beef stock; I normally add stock in increments just to see how thick the sauce becomes before adding more so it doesn’t get too watery. Once you’re happy with the consistency, slowly heat to a simmer and throw in thyme and bay leaves. Add the 18

meat. At this point I hope you haven’t forgotten about the taters. If you have, restart from step one with new taters. Drain taters, if you have a ricer (the best tool ever), then rice the taters and add butter and cream. If you don’t have a ricer, try to mash your taters manually—food processors will overexcite the gluten and make taters gluey in consistency. Smash everything together. Add olive-oil-poached garlic and some of the garlic-infused olive oil. Smash. Season. Smash. Repeat any of these steps until the taters are super delicious. Remove thyme and bay leaf from the meat sauce. Add corn and peas. Stir around. Blast with Worcestershire, and be a bit more restrained with Tabasco so it’s not too spicy. Add a small spoon of brown mustard. Stir. Taste. Is it good? It should be good. Assuming everything has worked so far (whew) put the meat stew into a casserole pan and top it with your taters. (If you’re Jess, at this point you may draw intricate designs in your taters with a fork). Bake for 20 minutes or so, potentially finishing with a broil to crisp and brown the top. Eat. Smile. Relax into comatose state.

CACIO E PEPE This great Roman pasta dish is one of the fastest, easiest meals I am aware of and definitely one of the most satisfying. Four ingredients have never come together more perfectly. The humble peppercorn deserves high praise. Beverage Pairing: Rome (in the Lazio region) doesn’t have particularly noteworthy wines. Instead, let’s drink something from Le Marche. This central region of Italy makes exceptional dry white wines from Verdicchio. The proximity to the water gives that wonderful sea-breeze minerality, highlighting the salty cheese. The freshness will do good to cool your palate from the fiery heat of peppercorn. Pasta, preferably something like bucatini or another string pasta with good al dente potential Parmigiano reggiano Black pepper 4 tbsp butter Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. This will be your vessel for cooking the pasta…duh. When the water comes to a rolling boil, add the pasta. In a sauté pan, bring a very small amount of water (like ¼ cup) to a simmer. Once the water is gently simmering, add about 4 tablespoons of butter and continue to stir as the butter melts. The key here is that simmering water allows butter to remain emulsified, so if you just put butter in a pan it separates into milk fats and milk solids, which is not what we want here. The sauce should look consistent throughout, not separated, such that it can hang out after coming together successfully. 20

When the pasta is getting close to al dente, you will be finishing the dish. Don’t cook the pasta all the way in the boiling water or else you will overcook the final product in the pan. Heat the butter sauce back up, and add a very hefty dose of cracked black pepper and cheese. Pull the pasta straight from the boiling water and into the sauté pan. Toss together with the sauce and give a quick taste check for saltiness, cheesiness, and pepper flavor. Everything should be in balance and express its individual flavor. That’s all there is to it! Delicious and easy.

LASAGNA BOLOGNESE Imagine you’re in Bologna on a wintry morning. The bells of San Petronio echo throughout the rain-slick Piazza Maggiore, the town is quiet but for a few beleaguered university students rushing to and fro, shoulders hunched against the wind. There isn’t much to do except spend the entire day making a hearty culinary masterpiece to enjoy with your amici and famiglia. Lasagna shouldn’t be drowning in tomatoes or tarted up with basil or zucchini or mozzarella—a rich meat sauce, creamy besciamella, and parmigiano reggiano are all you need. Beverage Pairing: The best way to go here is classic Italian. Pick something Sangiovese-based, like Chianti Classico or Brunello di Montalcino. Either one will work beautifully! You could double-down on terroir and get Sangiovese from the Emilia-Romagna region (where Bologna is), but these wines tend to be a tad less awesome. 1 onion 3 carrots 3 ribs of celery 3 cloves of garlic Olive oil Salt and pepper 1½ pounds ground beef ½ pound ground pork (optional) Butter 2 small cans of tomato paste 2 cups red wine (I like to use a slightly funky Barbera d’Asti or Rosso di Montalcino) 2 bay leaves 4 full sprigs of thyme Lasagna noodles—unless you’re making them yourself 2 cups grated parmigiano reggiano 22

Besciamella ½ cup unsalted butter ½ cup flour 4 cups whole milk (I find the better and richer the milk, the better the besciamella) 1 tsp salt 2 whole garlic cloves, minced ½ onion 8 whole dried cloves 1 bay leaf Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste Salt & peps Chop the vegetables finely. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the vegetables over medium-high heat, season with salt and pepper. I like to let the vegetables sweat and brown instead of stirring them too much. Don’t be afraid to let them get a bit burnt—it’ll only make the flavor richer (this will take about 20 minutes). Brown the beef in a separate pan with a bit of butter, season liberally with salt and pepper. Pour this and all its juices into the pot with the vegetables and continue to cook for about 15-20 minutes. Add tomato paste and mix in, cook for a few more minutes. Deglaze your pot with red wine, cook uncovered for about 5 minutes. Add bay leaves and thyme (don’t take the leaves off the stem, just throw the whole sprig in). Add water until the meat and veggies are submerged. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Leave uncovered.

Pour yourself a glass of wine and for the next 3-6 hours, keep an eye on the sauce and stir it once in awhile, add a scant cup of water if it gets too dry, scrape up the bottom occasionally. This sauce can be made in advance and it always tastes better the next day! Discard bay leaf and thyme twigs before assembling lasagna. Besciamella Melt butter in a saucepan over moderate heat, sprinkle flour over butter, and stir. Keep stirring for a few minutes while the roux cooks. Don’t rush this or the sauce will taste like raw flour. Stirring constantly, add milk a little bit at a time. Poke the whole cloves into the onion; add this, the garlic cloves, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and bay leaf. Once the whole mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring throughout. Taste it; if it’s too bland, add another pinch of salt. If it gets too thick, add a splash of milk. Fish out the onion and bay leaf when you’re done. Assembly Preheat oven to 400˚F. Boil your noodles until just before al dente. Remove and toss with oil to keep them from sticking. Using a large baking dish, begin assembly in this order: 1. Besciamella + sprinkling of parmesan 2. Noodles 3. Bolognese 4. Noodles Repeat until you run out of room. The top layer can be finished with parmesan and then the whole thing should be put in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until the top is sufficiently brown and crunchy (you may need to flick on the broiler for a minute). Serve, and tell stories by candlelight. 24

BUCATINI ALL’AMATRICIANA This simple Roman dish was one of my staples during grad school! Smoky guanciale and sweet onions are balanced with the acidity of tomatoes and the heat of red chilies (no garlic, no herbs, no black pepper). A dusting of pecorino romano is the only thing that should be used to finish it. Beverage Pairing: Go rosé here. This dish has spice, fat, and acid (a whole buncha stuff that will viciously contend with any sort of beverage). If I had my ‘druthers, I would go with a Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, which is a rosé made from the Montepulciano grape. The wines are always a bit richer and more savory—perfect for a pasta dish like this one. Bucatini 4 oz (115 grams) of guanciale, diced (or pancetta, bacon) 1 yellow onion, diced 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp dried red chili pepper flakes 1¾ cups of crushed San Marzano tomatoes (this is one 14 oz can or 5-6 fresh tomatoes) 1/3 cup dry white wine (optional) Pecorino romano cheese, grated Heat a large pot of salted water for your pasta. Heat oil in a pan and sauté guanciale until the fat renders out. Set aside. Add chili and onions to the fat, sauté until translucent. Add wine, tomatoes, and guanciale. Simmer until most of the liquid is gone. Boil your pasta until just before al dente. Add about ¼ cup of the pasta water to the sauce, then add pasta. The starch helps sauce bind better to the noodles. Sprinkle with pecorino romano and serve. Ut comedamus! 25

CAVATELLI WITH PUMPKIN AND SAGE You can use canned pumpkin purée, but you may need to add a touch of sugar since it lacks the sweetness you’d get from roasting. I love cavatelli as a pasta shape. It holds sauce superbly and has an amazing texture when properly cooked. Beverage Pairing: Go for something a little herbal with plenty of acidity and freshness such as Assyrtiko from the Greek island of Santorini—perhaps one that gets a little bit of skin contact during the fermentation. I would love that bit of phenolic bitterness to back of the viscosity of the wine with a slightly dried-grass, herbal flavor and salty minerality. Cavatelli Pumpkin or B-nut squash, roasted and puréed Chicken or vegetable stock Fresh sage leaves Butter Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add cavatelli. In a sauté pan, add 3 tablespoons of butter and bring it to a simmer till it becomes brown butter. The smell of brown butter is the best. Take a moment to appreciate it. Toss in some fresh sage leaves so they fry in the melting butter. This will enhance the aroma further. Remove the sage leaves before they burn, and discard. Add the pumpkin purée with a touch of stock to thin it out slightly. Bring to a simmer. When the cavatelli is almost al dente, remove from water and put into the yummy purée. Season with salt, peps, parm, and some finely minced fresh sage. Realize this is the best autumnal treat. 26

COO-COO-CACCIUCCO This is a really classic fisherman’s stew from Livorno on the Tuscan coast. It’s similar to cioppino and is equally appropriate to pair with an Anchor Steam. It takes a long time to make this and there are certainly shortcuts to make it easier; I like to make my own lobster stock from scratch and roasted tomato sauce, but you can easily find similar items in a store. Beverage Pairing: Classically in this town they would pair this dish with a Super Tuscan. Due respect, but I think that sounds disgusting. I would opt for rosé instead. In this case I would go for something relatively light and fresh like an Etna Rosato. Graci is always a favorite producer of mine for this style, but I’m sure you can find a good alternative if you can’t find that specific producer. Assorted shellfish, crustaceans, fish, whatever you like. I like lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels, and white fish. Tomatoes Seafood stock or house-made lobster broth Lemons Paprika Onion Garlic Bay leaf The first thing to do is kill the lobsters. If you have never done this before, it’s not the most fun and may induce David-Foster-Wallace-style reflections on consuming sentient beings. Take a large chef’s knife, and put the tip at the base of the lobster’s neck. Pull the blade clean through the entire lobster 27

head, cutting it in half, then rip off the tail and both claws. This way you can boil the tail and claw separately (since they cook at different speeds) and use the shells most effectively. Cook the tails and claws and remove the meat from the shell. Place all the lobster shells (head included) on a roasting pan and toss them in the oven at 350. You want them to cook a little to help develop their flavor before making stock. Once roasted, place the lobster shells in a large pot of cold water, and bring everything to a simmer together. Seafood stocks normally don’t take a very long time, and after about an hour this should be ready to season. I add a whole lemon (cut in half and squeezed), paprika, garlic, bay leaf, black peppercorns, and parsley stems. After another 30 minutes to an hour, the broth can be strained. In a sauté pan with a bit of water, bring the water to a simmer. This is just to give your shellfish a quick steam to open them up so you can remove the meat (no need to cook through). Of course, you could also buy shucked product, but shuck that! Cut the tomatoes into rough, large chunks. Dress liberally with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400 until they start to break down and develop heavy caramelization on the edges. Purée in a food processor or blender, and check the seasoning. In a pot, combine lobster stock and tomato purée. Proportions vary depending on the strength of your ingredients, but you want to achieve a balance between that wonderful oceanic flavor and the natural tomato sweetness. Bring to a simmer to allow flavors to meld together; check the seasoning. Add all the seafood and heat through. It’s important not to overcook everything that you have worked so hard on. Grab a big ol’ hunk of rustic country loaf, and dig in! 28

POISSON EN PAPILLOTE (A.K.A. BAG FISH) Yet another dish that got me through grad school—bag fish is what you make if you want a healthy meal with barely any prep or clean up (if you do it right, you might be able to avoid having to wash dishes entirely). You can fancy it up with seasoning and rice or couscous, but I honestly find that the fish is fine by itself. It can be made with virtually any kind of flaky fish, and any dry white wine will do, but I tend to go with Grüner Veltliner because it’s usually inexpensive and pairs well. Beverage pairing: I suppose the most appropriate thing for a fish in a bag would be a wine in a bag. Grab a friend and have them hold the box above your mouth while you enjoy all the yummy deliciousness that flows out. Only kidding! If you use Grüner to cook with, you should totally drink some as well! My one piece of advice is if you are getting something from the Wachau, avoid anything labeled ‘Smaragd’ as that will be way too rich for this dish. Fish (around 3-4 oz per person), salmon, trout, and bass have all worked well Cherry tomatoes on the vine Dry white wine Olive oil Lemon Handful of flat-leafed parsley, torn up Salt and pepper Parchment paper (in a pinch, tin foil works too) If you’re making a personal-sized portion, a loaf pan (the kind you’d bake banana bread in) is the perfect vessel. Preheat your oven to 450˚F. 29

Lay a large piece of parchment in your baking vessel— remember you’ll want to cut enough excess to fold this into a good seal. Sprinkle a bit of olive oil and half your parsley on the bottom and then lay your piece of fish on top. Season fish with salt, pepper, drizzle of lemon juice, and sprinkle on the remaining parsley. Lay your vine of tomatoes alongside the fish, then add about ¼ cup of white wine. There are different ways to seal this package up (if you’re skilled, you could crimp the edges all the way around), just use a method that works for you and prevents any of the steam from escaping. Bake for about 8-15 minutes depending on how thick your fish is. The cherry tomatoes should be soft and split. To serve, open the package carefully, plate the fish, and spoon some of the ‘sauce’ on top. You should be able to lift the entire package out of the container and toss it. Voilà!

JESS’ ROAST CHICKEN Ah the humble roast chicken. This dish is simplicity itself, but when executed well, few things are more delicious. You’ll want to get a smaller bird, as these tend to have the best flavor. If you are feeding many people, go for multiple small chickens instead of one large one. If you have time, of course, salting the bird 1-2 days before will make the flavors even better, but of course, life doesn’t always allow for this so I promise it will taste good anyway! Tip: make sure your oven is very clean—if you don’t, the long cooking time and the high temp might make your smoke alarm go off. Beverage pairing: See ‘Chicken Pot Pie’ One small chicken, 3–3½ pounds 2-3 tbsp melted butter 5 sprigs fresh thyme 3-4 sage leaves, torn (leave 2 whole) 3 tbsp kosher salt 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper Sel gris (grey sea salt) In a small bowl, mix your thyme leaves, torn sage, kosher salt, and pepper together. I like to rub the mixture between my fingers a few times to bring out the aromatics in the herbs, and distribute the flavors into the salt. Kosher salt is the best for this process because it flakes nicely. You’ll notice that sel gris crystals are bigger and crunchy in texture, which makes it great for finishing the meat afterwards. Dry the chicken thoroughly, especially inside the cavity (you want it to roast, not steam). Rub the chicken with butter, then rub salt mixture all over the outside of the chicken. 31

From the cavity side, use your fingers to separate the breast skin from the meat without breaking it. If you have long nails or donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to get your fingers too chickeny, the back-end of a butter knife does the trick nicely. Rub the salt mixture inside this space, and put a whole sage leaf or some thyme into it. Salt the inside of the cavity tooâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;this will draw the moisture inwards and keep the chicken juicy while the skin crisps. Cover and refrigerate until ready to roast (this can be done 1-2 days before). When ready to roast, preheat oven to 475Ë&#x161;F. Preheat a castiron skillet over high heat. Set your bird in the pan, breastside-up. Put your chicken in the oven. Within about 20 minutes the skin should be browning up nicely. If it is blistering, you can reduce the temperature to 450. At about 30 minutes, carefully flip your bird and try not to break the skin. Roast for another 10-20 minutes depending on size, then flip again and roast for another 5-10 minutes. Timing depends on the size of the bird and how hot your oven is. Remove the chicken and set it on your serving plate to rest. You can make a nice gravy by pouring off most of the butter and fat from the pan, adding a little flour, scraping up the crispy bits from the bottom, and mixing in a little water. This should be salty enough, but if you want a little extra crunch, you can always sprinkle a little sel gris on the meat. Bon app! 32

BEEF GOULASH AND SPAETZLE Way back when, my mom got this amazing ‘gulyás’ or ‘goulash’ recipe from a nice Hungarian lady who was my dad’s patient. She used this awesome paprika paste called ‘gulyáskrém’ that’s unfortunately kind of hard to find outside of Budapest—this recipe approximates it. This hearty, spicy stew was a great favorite among my friends in Cambridge and is best enjoyed with spaetzle (a sort of noodle/dumpling typical to German, Hungarian, and Alsatian cuisine). You could buy a spaetzle-maker, but I’ve made it happily for years using a flat cheese grater and rubber spatula. Beverage pairing: I would go with something robust, full of fruit, and very generous to stand up to this hearty meal. To me, Australian Shiraz or a Grenache-based Priorat from northeast Spain would provide ample richness for this meal. Of course, if you wanted to stick to Hungarian styles, you could also go with the “Bull’s Blood” of Egri Bikavir from Eger in Hungary. 3 tbsp of butter (or duck fat, if you’re feelin’ fancy) 3 pounds beef chuck, cut to 1-inch pieces 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp olive oil 2-4 tbsp flour 5 onions, halved, and sliced paper thin 5 red bell peppers, puréed ¾ cup tomato paste 4 carrots, chopped 4 stalks celery, chopped to uniform pieces (like the carrots) 2 tbsp cider vinegar 2 tbsp dried marjoram 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 tbsp hot paprika 2 tbsp sweet paprika 33

2 tsp caraway seeds ¼ tsp lemon zest ½ cup red wine (I've used Shiraz, Barbera, both work well) 1½ tsp fresh thyme ¼ tsp chopped fresh rosemary 2 bay leaves 1¾ liters (about half a gallon) water 3 potatoes, peeled, chopped, soaked for 1 hour in cold water Salt and pepps Spaetzle 1 cup flour ¼ cup milk 2 eggs ½ tsp salt Pinch of ground white pepper Handful of parsley, chopped (optional) 1 tbsp butter Heat butter or duck fat over medium heat in a dutch oven, or a large pot. Add onions and bring down the heat, cook on low, stirring occasionally for about 1 hour while you prep everything else. By not rushing this process you’ll give the onions time to really caramelize beautifully! In a separate pan, brown the beef in butter, olive oil, and flour, season with salt a pepper, set aside. Add carrots and celery to the onions, raise the heat and brown for about 15 minutes. Don't rush this step—brown food tastes good! Add tomato paste, paprikas, vinegar, spices, lemon zest, thyme, rosemary, and deglaze the pan with wine.

Add the beef, cover with the water, add bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for about 2-3 hours, adding a bit of liquid whenever needed. After 1 hour, add potatoes. Spaetzle In a medium-sized bowl, mix salt, pepper, and flour. Beat the eggs separately, and then add the wet ingredients gradually to the dry, mixing continuously until everything is incorporated. Ideally you want to let this sit for half an hour or so to let the gluten calm down. Meanwhile, boil a pot of water with a bit of salt, and get your tools ready. You will need: a handheld strainer, a rubber spatula, a flat cheese grater with large holes, and a big spoon or ¼ cup measure. Heat a large frying pan with the butter on medium heat. Place your cheese grater on the top of your pot of boiling water. About ¼ cup at a time, spoon the batter onto the grater and use the spatula to push the batter back and forth, through the holes. If your batter is watery, it will drip through too fast (add more flour); if it’s too thick, it will be too hard to push through (add milk). Keep an eye on the noodles in the pot; when they float up, they’re done (this take about a minute or so) and can be fished out with the strainer, and quickly dumped into the frying pan. Keep pushing your batter through, and transferring to the frying pan, stirring the pan noodles occasionally. You can actually leave these stationary to let them get a little crispy— a bit like a scrambled pancake! Once your noodles are nicely golden, you can toss them with parsley and then serve with a generous scoop of goulash. Enjoy, preferably by a nice, roaring fire!

DESSERTS SUMMERTIME POPSICLES Popsicles are the best! Recently a spate of haute popsicle stands have popped up around NYC, but at five bucks a pop (LOL) this quickly becomes an untenable indulgence. Luckily, they’re super easy to make at home! Here are a few principles I’ve learned from a lot of trial-and-error: ! Add sugar. Even if your fruit is amazing, freezing dulls the natural sweetness and you’ll end up with a bland pop. ! Roast the fruit beforehand. This really is the best way to bring out all the flavors. ! You must chill the fruit ‘shlop’ before spooning it into your molds. Hot shlop will not freeze consistently, creating big, sharp ice crystals instead of small, smooth ones. ! Boozy pops are great! Just don’t go overboard with the alcohol because it will not freeze well and your pops may come apart when you try to remove them. ! When removing pops from molds, dip them in a bath of very hot water for about 20-30 seconds. I find that those little half-sized zip lock bags are perfect for storing these. Plum-Ginger-Blueberry Pops 5 large, ripe plums (black, red, and pluots all work well) ½ cup blueberries 1-2 slices of candied ginger (to taste) ½ lemon 2/3 cup of sugar dissolved in 2/3 cup of warm water

Preheat your oven to 350˚F. Halve and roast your plums in a cake tin for about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, chop up your candied ginger into very small bits; make your simple syrup. Dump your fruit into a large bowl, toss in the blueberries, and mash it up using either a pastry blender or a fork. You can purée in a food processor too, but I tend to like slightly chunky popsicles. Add your lemon juice, simple syrup, and mix together. At this point you can add seasonings if you want a more complex flavor—a bit of lemon zest, freshly-ground nutmeg, cinnamon, etc. Chill until completely cold, spoon into popsicle molds, insert sticks, and freeze. Makes about 10 standard-sized pops. Peaches-And-Cream Pops 4-5 ripe yellow peaches 3-5 tbsp of heavy cream ½ tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped 3-5 tbsp honey Black pepper This one is a frozen version of Luke’s famous grilled peaches (my favorite dessert). Preheat oven to 350˚F. Halve and roast peaches in a cake tin for about 15-20 minutes. In a large bowl, mash up your peaches and add enough honey that the flavor is just noticeable. Mix in your fresh thyme and stir. When the mixture has cooled slightly, add a few cracks of black pepper. Chill completely. Add the cream—I like to not over-mix so that you get a bit of marbling. Spoon into molds, add sticks, and freeze!

PEACH, DAMSON & GINGER CRUMBLE This crumble is perfect for a chilly, early autumn night when you can use up the last of the summer stone fruit. 3-4 ripe peaches, sliced 3-4 ripe damson plums, sliced 1/3 cup brown sugar ½ lemon, zested ½ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp nutmeg (you can also add a pinch of clove or allspice) 2-3 slices of candied ginger, finely chopped 2 tbsp flour Topping ½ cup oats ½ cup flour ½ cup sugar ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp salt 6-8 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Combine the topping ingredients until everything holds together. The dry ingredients should be moistened but you don’t want a crumble that’s too wet. Put all of your fruit and sugar in a pot on medium heat. Add a splash of water and let it cook for a few minutes. Add lemon zest, juice of half a lemon, spices, ginger, and flour, mix well to make sure the spices are evenly distributed. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Place filling in a pie pan and cover generously with the crumble. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is nicely browned. Serve with ice cream or vanilla bean crème fraiche! 38

SALTED CARAMEL APPLE PIE When I fell in love with cooking as a kid, apple pie was the first dish I tried to perfect. My first (10? 20?) attempts were horrible: I tried every dough trick (lard, shortening, vodka) and once made an elaborately decorated crust but mistakenly added salt instead of sugar to the filling. After a lifetime of pie experimentation, I have lighted upon a few simple truths: ! Butter. Only butter. Butter is all you will ever need to make a perfect crust. ! Pre-cooking your fruit is a really good call. Why? Because fruit loses a lot of volume when it cooks, and unless you want your top crust to collapse like a sad car-dealershipair-dance-guy, cook that fruit first. Crust 2½ cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp sugar ½ pound (2 sticks or 277g) cold, unsalted butter, cut into ½inch pieces 8-10 tbsp ice water with cider vinegar, or more as needed (combine 1 cup cold water, 1/8 cup cider vinegar and ice) Caramel 1 cup sugar 6 tbsp salted butter, melted (beurre de baratte is best!) 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp heavy cream 2 tbsp bourbon (optional) Apples 2 tbsp unsalted butter 5-6 apples (I like granny smith and honey crisp—anything tart and not too mealy), peeled, sliced ¼ tsp ground allspice 39

½ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp kosher salt 1/3 cup sugar 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 2 tsp cornstarch 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar Whisk dry ingredients together and using a hand-held pastry blender, blend in the cold butter. The butter should be in pea-sized chunks, not too big, but not completely incorporated. Chill this quickly in the freezer for 5 minutes. Slowly add the water-vinegar mixture and bring the dough completely together using a fork and then a little by hand, again being careful not to overwork. Aim to create a marbleized effect, so that butter ribbons are still visible. Divide into 2 discs, wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour or more before use. Caramel Melt the sugar over medium heat in a medium pot; it will yellow and then all of a sudden buckle and go brown. Watch it super carefully and stir it, don't add any water at all. This is called a ‘dry’ caramel. Cook the sugar to an even, dark copper color. Don’t stop the caramelization process too soon. You want this to get ever so slightly burnt, otherwise it will be cloyingly sweet. Add the butter all at once and stir it in. Remove from heat and pour in the heavy cream (it will foam up a lot), stirring it until you get a smooth sauce. You can add bourbon here if you desire!

Apples Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add apples, stir to coat with butter. Mix spices, salt, and sugar, and sprinkle this over the apples, stirring to combine. Lower the heat and cook until apples start to soften (about 5 minutes). Sprinkle the flour and cornstarch over the apples and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, another 3–5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, add cider vinegar, scrape fruit mixture into a bowl and allow to cool completely. Assembly 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 tbsp raw sugar (large granules) Preheat oven to 425˚F. On a floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to fit the pie plate, poke holes in the bottom with a fork. Spread a generous layer of caramel on it. Add a layer of apples and spread a layer of caramel over it. Keep interleaving these (I’ve found that unless you're pretty generous with caramel, the flavor can disappear.) For the top crust, you can either simply lay dough overtop or you can go all-out and lattice it with 1½-inch strips. If you want a latticing tutorial, call me! Seal the crusts together with the egg wash, and brush the rest over the top crust. Dust with your large-granule sugar. Make sure you cut a few holes in the top for the steam. Bake for 20 minutes then reduce the to 375˚ and bake for another 30 or so. Bask in the glory of pie! 41