A Pinch of This and a Dash of That by Stephanie Weinstein

A PINCH OF THIS AND A DASH OF THAT

STEPHANIE WEINSTEIN

IT ALL STARTS WHEN THERE IS NOTHING TO EAT. Two hungry girls back from school and only one serving of tomato sauce from the can. This is how my love affair with cooking began. I was nine and my sister was twelve. There was not enough tomato sauce for the both of us, so we decided to add more stuff to it so we could both have some. We added frozen crab, leftover bread, capers, whatever we had in the refrigerator. By the end we thought it was so good we made our parents eat it for dinner. Lets just say it was not the best thing I have ever made, but it was the beginning of a life long love. Cooking is something that I know will always be a part of my life.

For me, cooking is all about self expression. It gives me a chance to really showcase who I am and what I love. You may notice that some of the recipes are not very exact. It is just that I don’t cook with measurements. If I say a pinch of this or that, just add how much you would like. If I am not specific enough on cooking times, just cook it until it looks right. It is all about feeling when the food is done, when its slightly crispy or just perfectly dressed. If something does not come out perfectly, its ok because that is how we grow as chefs. When you learn to feel the food, to understand the textures and the right look to a sauce or a dressing, you can cook whatever you want. You will notice that I have no recipes for cakes or cookies or any type of dough, at least no recipes that are my own. It is hard to experiment and just “feel the food” when it comes to baking. To me, baking and cooking are two different things. I love to cook, but baking can be a challenge. It is important to follow the recipes that you know work for doughs like pie crust or pizza, then add something fun on top of that dough, that is where your self expression comes into play. All the recipes in this book are my own, with lots of trial and error. If there are any recipes that are not my own, I will say so. All of the photos are mine as well, or my Mom who took the ones of me. I really hope you enjoy this book, and eat some amazing food. Because if your not eating good food with good people, what else is there?

ROASTED TOMATOES This is one recipe that I use a lot in this book, because it is one of my favorite things. They are super easy and not only do they brighten up any dish, they are good enough to just snack on. They are like candy. 6 plum tomatoes 4 garlic cloves 3 thyme bunches 3 rosemary bunches tablespoon coriander seeds tablespoon black peppercorns. 2 teaspoons salt Âź cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. It is important to take it slowly. Cut the plum tomatoes into four pieces vertically. Cut out the seeds and then run your knife along the back of the tomato to remove the skin. This skill is hard to master and you have to take it slowly. Put the olive oil into a baking sheet. Crush the garlic with the back of a knife and put the garlic in the pan without chopping it. Then place the rest of the ingredients in. Place the tomatoes in without overlapping. Put in the oven for an hour until the tomatoes are soft. Remove from the pan, removing seeds and herbs as you go. Strain the olive oil and put the tomatoes in the oil. Use whenever you need them. 3

SOUPS

Soups are probably my favorite things to make. There are so many ways to transform a soup. Just by adding some thyme, or browning the ingredients before adding the broth, it can add such a depth of flavor. My love of soups might also have to do with the fact that soups are my Momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite things to eat, so I have had a lot of practice at making them. I hope you love these soups as much as my Mom does.

BROTH

Chicken Broth Ingredients 1. 6 carrots 2. 6 celery 3. 4 parsnips

All broths pretty much have the same back bone. I am going to give the full recipe for chicken broth, but it is very similar for other broths as well. For example: for fish broth, just replace the chicken with 3 fresh fish spines. For vegetable broth, just add more veggies and include 1 fennel bulb.

Chicken Broth

4. 8 shallots 5. 1 whole chicken cut into sections 6. 2 bunches of rosemary

*You will need a large pot.

This recipe is not an exact science. While you are making other food, feel free to just throw some vegetable scraps into the pot. You can throw in tomato skins, shallot skins, parsley steams, and some leftover garlic.

7. 3 bunches of thyme 8. 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 9. water

Turn the pan onto medium heat. Salt and pepper each piece of chicken then place them in to the pan with a small amount of oil. Brown each side and remove from the pan. Add chopped carrots, celery, parsnips and shallots. Salt and pepper them and let them cook until they are caramelized. Add the chicken back into the pot and then add water up to the top of the pot. Add generous amounts of salt and pepper plus the herbs. Cover the broth and let it cook at least over night. Add in scraps from the rest of a meal anytime up to an hour before serving the broth. The broth should be golden in color. 6

Ingredients

Diced Vegetable Soup

1. 5 parsnips 2. 5 carrots 3. 2 fennel bulbs 4. 10 baby bella mushrooms 5. 1/2 cup of hen of the woods mushrooms 6. one pan of roasted tomatoes 7. 1 tablespoon of thyme 8. ¼ a cup of flat leaf parsley 9. 2 cups chicken broth

This is my favorite soup. I made it once for a family friend and it was a hit. Just use the broth and tomato recipes from elsewhere in the book.

10.1/4 cups of chopped chicken from the chicken broth

Dice all of the vegetables to the same size. Try to make them as uniform as possible. You can use a mandolin to slice them and then cut from there. I find that easiest. Sauté the diced vegetables until they are golden brown. Add four cups of broth to the pan. Take a piece of chicken from the large broth pot and shred ½ a cup. Add the chicken to the soup. Dice roasted tomatoes and add to the soup. Add finely chopped thyme. Place soup into bowls and top with chopped parsley. 7

Ingredients

Herb pressed Shrimp Soup with Carrot Puree This labor intensive soup is so worth the time. It is an easy three step soup.

1. 2 cups of shrimp with shells on

Shrimp Herb Broth:

2. 2 whole cloves

*If you can’t find the seeds just do 2 teaspoons of the ground spices

3. tablespoon coriander seeds 4. tablespoon cardamom seeds 5. tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

Take the shells off of the fresh shrimp. Reserve the shrimp and place the shells in a pan. Add following ingredients in up to but not including carrots plus salt and pepper to taste. let the broth cook for a half an hour. Place some of the broth into a French press and put to the side.

6. 3 garlic cloves

Carrot puree:

7. 2 bunches rosemary

Cut up carrots in small slices. Cook on medium heat until caramelized. Once golden brown add the water and thyme. Let the carrots cook until soft. Let the carrots cool for 20 mins. Once cool add the carrots to a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.

8. 3 bunches thyme 9. 1 bunch oregano 10. 2 cups of water

11. 4 carrots

Sautéed Mushrooms, Shrimp, and Carrots: Cut the mushrooms, carrots and shrimp to the same size. Sauté the them together until all are golden brown.

12.½ cup of water 13.1 bunch of thyme 14.1 cup of sliced assorted mushrooms 15.1 carrot thinly sliced 16.Shrimp that was set aside earlier

Putting it all together: Place a spoonful of carrot puree at the bottom of the bowl. Top with some of the mushroom shrimp and carrot mixture, topping with salt and pepper. No more then 3 shrimp for each bowl. Bring bowls to the table. Once there, pour broth from the French press onto the soup. This is a really wonderful presentation. *if you don’t have a French press you can simple strain the broth and pour into the bowl before serving. Choose your favorite mushrooms to use in this dish. I recommend Hen of the Woods, baby bella, and others similar in flavor. 8

Pureed Soups Pureed soups are easier then one may think. It is all about making them as smooth as possible. My Mom loves soups but she does not eat cream or potatoes. Making smooth pureed soups without either of the two is a challenge. But together we found a great solution. We use the Vitamix to puree our soups. This is an incredibly strong machine that makes for the smoothest soups without cream.

Mushroom Soup

Chestnut Soup

Artichoke Soup

Ingredients:

½ cup of dried porcini mushrooms ½ cup of hot water 3 cups of assorted mushrooms 1 bay leaf 1 carrot 2 bunches of thyme 1 teaspoon of dried cardamom 4 cups of chicken broth

2 jars of cooked chestnuts 2 carrots 2 celery 4 cups of chicken broth 2 bay leafs 1 clove

Two jars of Artichokes ½ cup of basil 2 cups of chicken broth

Place dried mushrooms and hot water in a bowl. Let sit until dried mushrooms are soft. Meanwhile sauté chopped mushrooms and carrot until soft. Add dried mushrooms with the water, broth, cardamom and herbs. Let cook for 20 mins. Remove the herbs and place mixture in the Vitamix. Blend until smooth.

Dice and cook vegetables together until soft. Add remaining ingredients. Let cook for 20 mins. Remove bay leaves and clove. Blend in the Vitamix until smooth.

Saute artichokes until warmed through. Add broth. Place mixture into the Vitamix. Add fresh basil. Blend until smooth.

Ying and Yang bean soup:

Corn soup with tomato skin boat:

This is one of the more whimsical dishes I make.

This soup is a fun way to use your leftover tomato skins.

White bean soup:

Corn Soup:

One can of white beans (cannelloni beans) with one bean reserved. 1 sprig of thyme a pinch of coriander half a carrot half a celery one up of chicken broth

2 corncobs 1 cup of stock a pinch of coriander a pinch of cardamom 1 rosemary stalk Cut the corn cornels off the cob. Saute until cooked. Add the rest of the ingredients (donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t chop the rosemary, put the stalk in whole). After 10 mins, take out the rosemary and blend the soup.

Chop carrot and celery. Saute until golden. Combine all the ingredients in a pot and let them cook until all vegetables are soft. Blend until smooth.

Tomato skin boat:

Black Bean soup: Completely the same except black beans instead of white beans.

1 corncob Âź cup of flat leaf parsley half a clove of garlic tomato skins reserved from the roasted tomatoes

When both soups are finished, fill half of the bowl with white soup and other half with black soup. Take one whole white bean and place it in black side and visa versa.

Cut the corn off the cob and saute it with the chopped garlic. Bake the tomato skins for 10 mins or until slightly golden and cook through. Mix the chopped parsley in with the corn. Place the pureed corn soup into the bowl. Put a tomato skin on top and fill it with the corn mixture. Serve. 11

SALADS

Not just some leafy greens When people think of salads, they tend to think of a bunch of greens with some dressing. I think that salad can be much more than that. It is easy to put some dressing and sliced tomatoes on some greens, but if I am going to give you recipes, I want them to be something special.

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Ingredients: 1. Two cucumbers

Shaved cucumber, mango and mint salad with citrus vinaigrette: This is my favorite salad of all time. It is really fresh and light.

2. Two mangos 3. 1 cup of spinach leaves 4. four mint leaves

Special equipment: mandolin

5. 6 basil leaves

Take your cucumber and slide it lengthwise over the mandolin until it is all in thin

6. Â˝ cup of hazelnuts

ribbons. Slide the ribbons down the mandolin so that they are now in thin strips.

7. 1 orange

not slice into the core. If going down the mandolin with the ribbons is too

8. 1 lemon 9. Â˝ cup of olive oil

Peel off the mango skin with a vegetable peeler and do the same with the mango, do challenging it is just as well to cut the ribbons into strips with a knife. Place your strips into a bowl. Take your spinach leaves 5 at a time. Lay the 5 leaves over each other and roll them up like a cigar. Once rolled up cut across the width of the cigar so they form very thin strips. Do this with all the spinach leaves, basil leaves and mint leaves. Add to the bowl. Take the hazelnuts and chop them into smaller pieces. Add that to the salad. In a separate bowl, squeeze the juice of one lemon and one orange. Wisk in olive oil slowly, then add salt and pepper. Dress the salad and serve.

Ingredients: 1. 1 pound of wax beans, both ends trimmed

Wax bean salad with grilled zucchini and parsley dressing

2. 1 grilled zucchini 3. Â˝ cup of toasted silver almonds 4. 1 cup of flat leaf parsley 5. Â˝ cup of parsley 6. salt and pepper 7. the juice of half a lemon 8. 1/2 a cup of slivered almonds

Preheat the oven to 350. Put the wax beans with some oil in a pan and cook them in the oven for around a half an hour or until they are tender and slightly browned. Meanwhile, slice the zucchini and grill for 2 mins on each side. A Forman grill works great for this. Put the parsley, olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice into a blender. Blend until smooth. When all the components are cool mix the beans, zucchini, almonds and dressing together.

Ingredients: 1. 1 Cup of shrimp with shells removed

shrimp and squash salad with lemon: This is a very healthy and light salad with a surprise from the lemon segments.

2. 1 yellow squash 3. 1 zucchini

Special equipment: mandolin

4. 1 lemon 5. olive oil

Slice and saute the shrimp until cooked through and slightly crispy. Set aside to cool. Slide both squashes through the mandolin to create thin circles. Cut the ends off the lemon. Carefully cut the peel off the lemon and discard the peel. Cut each segment out of the lemon. Mix all the ingredients together it a bowl and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Serve.

ingredients

Corn and tomato salad

1. 2 ears of corn with husks on 2. 2 plum tomatoes, diced 3. a splash of olive oil 4. Âź cup of cilantro, chopped 5. a handful of basil, chopped 6. a half a red onion, diced

This way of cooking corn is my own special way. Leave the husks on and put the corn in the oven for 20 mins at 400 degrees. After that take off the husks and grill the corn until they have beautiful grill marks on all sides. You can do this on a big fancy grill on simply on your Forman grill in the house. Cut the corn off the cob and add all the other ingredients together in a bowl. It is best to use the olive oil from the roasted tomatoes talked of earlier in the book, it adds a really great flavor. 17

APPETIZERS

Ingredients 1. 1 and a half cups of corn meal

Soft polenta with Mushrooms and Egg yolk: I love polenta, but I have always had trouble with lumps. Then I figured out a full proof way.

2. 4 cups of water 3. 8 baby bella mushrooms 4. 2 egg yolks 5. 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 6. 2 tablespoons butter

Special equipment: Stand Mixer Boil four cups of water. Place the water into stand mixer. Turn mixer on slow. Slowly add cornmeal. Turn mixer onto medium. Add polenta back into pot. Cook on medium heat until thick. Add butter and cheese. Meanwhile sautĂŠ chopped mushrooms. Place polenta into bowl and top with mushrooms. Add one egg yolk on top of each serving. When eating, mix the egg yolk into the dish. Cover with cheese and serve.

Ingredients

Stuffed Mushrooms:

1. 10 baby bella mushrooms (the larger the better) 2. cup of cherry tomatoes 3. 1 bell pepper 4. parmesan cheese 5. flat leaf parsley

Take the stems out of all the mushrooms. In a large pan, cook the mushrooms for 3 mins on both sides. Meanwhile dice the cherry tomatoes and pepper into a small uniform size. Saute in oil until soft and melded together, about 7 mins. Take cooked mushrooms and place on a plate. Stuff each one with tomato and pepper mixture. Top with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese. Serve.

Ratatouille

Ingredients 1. 1 large eggplant 2. 2 zucchini 3. 3 plum tomatoes 4. 2 cloves of garlic 5. Âź cup of basil leaves 6. Salt 7. Pepper 8. Olive oil

This is a classic recipe that I just love. Preheat the oven to 400. Mince the garlic and chop the vegetables into similar sized cubes. Toast the garlic in some oil in a large pan and then add in the chopped eggplant and zucchini. Brown the vegetables and then add the tomatoes. Cook on medium heat for 10 mins. Add the pan into the oven for 20 mins stirring every 5 mins. Add lots of chopped basil, salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy.

Flat bread Flat bread is one of my favorite things to eat. I got this dough recipe from the Food Network website. Ingredients: - 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda - 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus extra for seasoning - 1 stick butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature

Combine the flour, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt in the bowl of an upright mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until incorporated, about 2 minutes. With the machine running, slowly add 10 to 12 tablespoons water until the mixture forms a dough around the hook. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Form into disk shapes and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

These are some of my ideas to put on top of this amazing dough: 1. Chopped Broccoli with mushrooms, mozzarella, and mushrooms. Add some parmesan cheese and fresh basil 2.Cherry tomatoes, munster cheese, and tarragon. arrange on the dough. 3.Mushroom, mozzarella, and fresh oregano. You can use chanterelles, morels, hen of the woods, any kind that you choose will taste good. 4.Traditional tomato, mozzarella, and basil. even though it is

Be creative, try different combinations.

not a pizza dough, it sure tastes as good as one. 22

Tomato Tart

Ingredients 1.I pie crust recipe

For this tart, use the pie crust recipe in the dessert section. It is not sweet and is amazing in this dish.

2.2 vine ripe tomatoes 3.chopped basil and thyme 4.1 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese 5.fresh pepper

Special equipment: tart pan

Slice the tomatoes to even thickness. Add some grated cheese to the bottom of the already baked pie crust. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, herbs and the rest of the cheese. Bake at 400 degrees until tomatoes are cooked through and soft. This wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take long at all. Cut into slices and serve with some more basil on top. 23

ENTREES

Ingredients 1. 1 bag of frozen diver scallops

Small Diver Scallops with Coconut Broth This dish could be either an appetizer or an entree depending on how many scallops you put in the dish.

2. 3 plum tomatoes, sliced to about 1/4 of an inch 3. 1 can of coconut milk 4. 1 lemon 5. 1 sprig of thyme 6. 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds 7. 2 tablespoons of butter

Preheat the oven to 350. Defrost the scallops. Take a vegetable peeler and peel off two ribbons of lemon rind. Cook the lemon rind over medium heat with the coconut milk, coriander, salt, pepper and thyme and bring to a boil. You will need to add water to the coconut milk, just add enough until it is thin. Add in the scallops and cook for 5 mins until the scallops are cooked through. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Strain the scallops, reserving the coconut broth. Place the sliced tomatoes in a pan with some olive oil, salt and pepper and then put them in the oven for 15 mins. Once the butter is melted in the skillet place the scallops in the pan and cook until they are golden brown on all sides. Place the roasted tomatoes on a plate in a line. Than place the scallops over top with a few spoons of the broth. Season with salt and serve.

Ingredients

Grilled chicken thighs with artichokes and tomatoes:

1. 4 chicken thighs 2. 1 cup of artichokes hearts from a jar

Do your best to keep the chicken tender while still getting nice grill marks.

3. Â˝ cup of roasted tomatoes (see recipe) 4. Âź cup of basil 5. 1 lemon 6. salt 7. pepper 8. olive oil

You can use a Forman grill for this easy dinner. Preheat your grill. Salt and pepper the thighs and grill them for 5 mins on each side. Meanwhile, rinse the artichokes from the jar and sautĂŠ them until cooked through in a little olive oil. Mix them with the roasted tomatoes and chopped basil. Place the grilled chicken thighs on a plate and top with some of the artichoke mixture. Add with some fresh lemon juice and serve with any side from the sides section.

Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients 1. 1 package of ground turkey

My Mom does not eat gluten i.e. bread so it was my mission to make a turkey meatball recipe with no binding agent. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d think it would fall apart but these meatballs always come out moist and delicious.

2. 1 egg 3. Âź cup of flat leaf parsley and basil, chopped 4. a dash of ground coriander and cardamom 5. 2 cloves minced garlic 6. Âź cup of grated parmesan cheese 7. salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients together and let rest for 5 mins. Preheat the oven to 375. Oil a baking sheet and make balls about 1 inch in diameter. Bake for about 15 mins or until lightly crisp on the outside. Serve with your favorite spaghetti and tomato sauce or add to some chicken broth with some kale, turnip, carrots, and lots of fresh parsley. 27

Ingredients

Chilean Sea Bass with roasted tomatoes and meyer lemon:

1. 3 tomatoes 2. 2 filets of Chilean sea bass 3. 1 meyer lemon 4. salt 5. pepper 6. olive oil 7. 2 bunches of thyme 8. fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 375. Cut the tomatoes into slices and lay them on a sheet pan with a little olive oil. Place the sea bass filets on top with a little salt and pepper. Break up the thyme bunches and lay them around the pan. Cut the meyer lemon into slices and lay the slices on the fish and the tomatoes. Cook in the oven for 20 mins until the fish is firm and cooked though and the tomatoes are soft. Top with a little fresh parsley and serve.

Ingredients

Pan Seared Tilapia with sautéed vegetables and herb cream sauce.

1. 4 tilapia fillets 2. 1 bulb of fennel

*Special equipment: a mandolin

3. 3 carrots 4. 3 parsnips 5. 7 baby bella mushrooms 6. 2 shallots 7. ½ cup of roasted tomatoes 8. 1 cup of heavy cream 9. 2 bunches of thyme and rosemary 10.fresh nutmeg

You want to end up with thin strings of vegetables. The way to do this is pass the vegetable through the mandolin one way and then the other, or once you have thin slices cut them the other way yourself by hand. Once all the vegetables are cut, add a little oil to a pan and cook the veggies until they are tender. Meanwhile add a little oil to another pan. Add salt and pepper to each side of each fish fillet and then sear them in the pan until they are cooked through and slightly crispy. In a sauce pan, add the cream, salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary whole. Once simmering, grate in a little nutmeg. Place some of the cooked veggies on the plate and place a fish fillet on top. Lay some of the cream sauce on top, add some chopped fresh parsley and enjoy.

11.½ cup of chopped flat leaf parsley

Ingredients

Rigatoni with chicken tomato sauce

1. 1 bag of rigatoni 2. 1 cup of shredded leftover chicken 3. Â˝ cup of cherry tomatoes 4. 6 baby bella mushrooms 5. 1 small can tomato sauce

This is my take on a ragu, except it is free of wine, and I use left over chicken from

the chicken broth recipe instead of ground meat. The recipe is fairly simple, but it really comes through with taste. I recommend using Muir Glen Tomato Sauce. I would say it is the most used thing in my kitchen besides olive oil and I love it so much.

6. 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese 7. basil to top

Get a pot of boiling water started on the stove, add some salt, and when it is boiling add the pasta. Follow the instructions on the bag. While the pasta is cooking, cut the mushrooms into small pieces. Add a little olive oil to a sautĂŠ pan and cook the mushrooms until they are golden brown. Cut the cherry tomatoes in quarters and add them to the pan. Cook until the tomatoes have fallen apart and then add shredded chicken. Cook this for only a few mins or else the chicken will stick to the pan. Add the can of tomato sauce and cook until the sauce is thick and bubbling. Take half the grated parmesan and mix it into the sauce. Add salt and pepper. Once the pasta is done cooking add it to the sauce and let them cook together for a little while. Transfer the dish to a plate and top with freshly chopped basil. 30

Ingredients 1. 2 duck breasts 2. butter 3. 1 butternut squash 4. 3 parsnips 5. 1/4 cup of heavy cream 6. fresh parsley 7. celery leaves 8. chervil 9. lemon 10.olive oil

Seared Duck Breast with butternut squash and parsnip puree and herb salad Searing a duck breast is an art. I will not say that I could just feel the right temperature or how long it should be cooked on each side. I needed help so I looked to Bon Appetit. They give the best tutorial on the perfect seared duck breast. This is the link for the tutorial: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/slideshows/2009/06/ how_to_sear_duck_breast#slide=1

Set the oven to 400 degrees. Peel your butternut squash with a vegetable peeler. Cut it into 1 inch cubes and place on an oiled baking sheet. Cut the parsnips into similar sized pieces and place on the baking sheet. Add salt and pepper and bake until cooked through and golden brown, about 30 mins. While in the oven, prepare your duck breasts as instructed above. While the duck is resting, mix together the parsley, celery leaves and chervil. Add some lemon juice and oil for a light dressing and set aside. When the vegetables are done let them cool, then add them to a food processor with the heavy cream. Puree until smooth and then spoon onto a plate. Place the cut duck breast on top with some salad on top of that and enjoy.

Ingredients 1. 3 lamb chops

Baked Lamb Chop with Parsley Pesto My Mom loves lamb chops so I learned quickly how to make them for her. This dish would be good with any of the sides in the next section.

2. 1 cup of parsley 3. 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil 4. 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Salt and pepper the lamb on both sides. Put the lamb chops in the oven for about 3 mins on each side, making sure both sides get done the same. This will give you medium rare. Meanwhile, add the rest of the ingredients into a blender. Add some salt and pepper. Take the lamb chops and pour a little of the parsley mixture on top. Serve with a side.

SIDES

Ingredients

1. 1 cauliflower head 2.2 tablespoons capers 3.Â˝ cup of panko bread crumbs 4.fresh parsley

Caulif lower with bread crumbs and capers This is a simple dish that really lets the cauliflower shine.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut florets out of the cauliflower and toss them in a baking pan with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake them until the each floret is cooked through and slightly crispy, from 20 to 30 mins. When fully cooked, place the cauliflower in a bowl. Put the panko bread crumbs into the same baking sheet, turn the oven down to 350 and bake them until golden brown. This could take from 2 to 8 mins. Cut the capers into small pieces and then add them to the cauliflower. Add the bread crumbs and some chopped flat leaf parsley.

Ingredients

Green Beans with fennel and pine nuts

1. I bag haricot vert 2. 1 fennel bulb 3. 1/2 cup of toasted pine nuts 4. the zest of half a lemon 5. chopped garlic

Get a large skillet and turn it on to medium heat. Add some oil and then add the green beans. Let them cook until they are tender. Meanwhile, cut the fennel bulb into strips and then add to the green beans. Let them both cook until they are golden brown and tender. Turn the oven to 375. Add the veggies to a baking sheet with the chopped garlic and bake them in the oven until cooked through, about 10-15 mins. Once cooked, toss in the pine nuts and lemon zest. Add salt and pepper and enjoy.

Risotto Risotto is one of my favorite things to make. Here is a basic recipe to start with. Ingredients: 4 cups of chicken broth 1 cup of arborio rice 1 tablespoon of oil 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese

Get a large pot and bring the chicken stock to a simmer, keep it on low heat. Take a large skillet and toast the arborio rice with some oil. Once toasted add a ladle full of broth. Stir the rice every so often until the liquid is absorbed into the rice. Continue this process until all the stock is gone. Make sure the rice is cooked completely. You want to keep the rice at medium heat. If the heat is too low, the rice will absorb to much liquid and will become mushy. If the heat is too high, the rice will not absorb enough liquid, stick to the pan, and be undercooked. When all the liquid is absorbed, add the cheese.

Risotto on its on is not very exciting, so these are some things I recommend you add: Shrimp and lemon: Add some sauteed shrimp and lemon juice to the risotto and cook them together for a few minutes. Mushroom: Add a variety of mushrooms to the pan of rice before any liquid is added and let the mushrooms cook with the rice. Sweet potato sage: Add some purred sweet potato and chopped sage to the finished risotto.

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Ingredients 1. 2 heads of cauliflower

Caulif lower and Butternut Squash Hash One time I made this for Passover and I have been making it every since. It is simple and so delicious.

2. 1 butternut squash 3. 3 sprigs of thyme, with out steams, chopped. 4. a pinch of cardamom 5. olive oil 6. chopped flat leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the butternut squash with a veggie peeler. Cut off the top and bottom. Using your best knife, cut the squash into small cubes, excluding the pulp and seeds. Set aside. Cut off small florets of the cauliflower, about the size of your butternut squash pieces. These should be about as small as a thumbnail. Add the cauliflower and squash to a baking sheet. Add some oil and the rest of the ingredients, excluding the parsley. Bake until soft and golden brown, about 30 mins. Stir every 5 to 10 minutes or else the ones on the outer edge will burn. When finished, take out of the oven and add chopped parsley.

Ingredients 1. 4 bell peppers

Roasted Bell Peppers with Rosemary This is a simple recipe that yields sweet and wonderful results.

2. 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary 3. 1 teaspoon of olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the peppers into strips length wise. Make sure there are no seeds. Spread the olive oil onto a baking sheet. Then mix the peppers and the rosemary on the sheet until the rosemary completely covers the peppers. Bake until the peppers are tender and sightly browned. Serve with a nice aioli or next to a fish entree.

DESSERTS

Ingredients: 1. 3 cups of apple cider 2. 6 pears 3. 1 tablespoon of honey 4. 2 crates of raspberries 5. 1 teaspoon of lemon juice 6. 1/4 cup of sugar 7. 3/4 cup of water 8. 1/2 cup whipping cream 9. 1/2 cup whole milk 10.1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel 11. â&#x20AC;˘ 3 large egg yolks 12. â&#x20AC;˘ 1/4 cup sugar

Pouched Pear with raspberry sauce and orange custard sauce This dessert is one of my favorites of all time. The sharpness of the raspberry sauce with the creaminess of the custard really makes the dish. I wanted to make sure the custard sauce came out with the right consistency, so I used a recipe from Bon Appetit. I will include their recipe for the sauce. Pears: Preheat a large sauce pan. Add the apple cider and honey and bring to a light simmer. Meanwhile, peel and cut the pears into fourths length wise. Make sure to cut out the core. Add the pears to the cider and cook them until they are soft and tender but not falling apart. Set aside when done in the apple cider. Raspberry Sauce: Add the raspberries, lemon juice, sugar, and water to a pan. Let it cook until the raspberries are completely broken down and the sauce is thickened. Strain the sauce to get rid of the seeds. Let the sauce cool. Custard Sauce: Combine cream, milk, and orange peel in heavy small saucepan. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Cover and let steep 15 minutes. Whisk yolks and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk warm milk mixture into yolk mixture; return to saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture coats back of spoon and leaves path when finger is drawn across, stirring constantly, about 7 minutes (do not boil). Pour into bowl. Chill until cold, whisking occasionally, about 3 hours.

Apple Crisp

Ingredients: 1. 6 granny smith apples 2. 1 and a half cups of oats 3. 2 tablespoons of cinnamon 4. 1/4 cup of honey 5. 1/2 cup slivered almonds 6. 1/4 cup of brown sugar

special equipment: mandolin Preheat oven to 375.

First peel all the apples. Then use the mandolin to slice the apples thinly, similarly to how you would with the veggies earlier in the book. Mix all the other ingredients in a large bowl. Lay the apples down in flat layers on a baking sheet, then add the oats mixture on top. Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake until the oats mixture is crispy. This is very good with some whipped cream.

PIE I love pie. If I had to pick one thing to live off of, it would be pie. The best pie crust recipe I have come across is Alton Brown’s recipe from the Food Network website. It is fluffy and flaky at the same time, it is so good. I like to use all butter, instead of the lard, but that is just a personal choice. Here it is: Ingredients • 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) butter, chilled • 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) lard, chilled • 6 ounces (approximately 1 cup) all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling dough • 1/2 teaspoon table salt • 1/4 cup ice water, in spritz bottle • Approximately 32 ounces of dried beans, for blind baking Directions Place butter and lard in freezer for 15 minutes. When ready to use, remove and cut both into small pieces. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt by pulsing 3 to 4 times. Add butter and pulse 5 to 6 times until texture looks mealy. Add lard and pulse another 3 to 4 times. Remove lid of food processor and spritz surface of mixture thoroughly with water. Replace lid and pulse 5 times. Add more water and pulse again until mixture holds together when squeezed. Place mixture in large zip-top bag, squeeze together until it forms a ball, and then press into a rounded disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place 2 metal pie pans in the refrigerator to chill. Remove dough from refrigerator. Cut along 2 sides of the plastic bag, open bag to expose dough, and sprinkle both sides with flour. Cover again with plastic and roll out with a rolling pin to a 10 to 11-inch circle. Open plastic again and sprinkle top of dough with flour. Remove pie pans from refrigerator and set first pan on top of dough. Turn everything upside down and peel plastic from bottom of dough. Place second pan upside down on top of dough and flip again. Remove first pan from atop dough. Trim edges if necessary, leaving an edge for meringue to adhere to. Poke holes in dough and place in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Place a large piece of parchment paper on top of dough and fill with dry beans. Press beans into edges of dough and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove parchment and beans and continue baking until golden in color, approximately 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven xlii

PIE PART 2 Now that you know how to make the best crust, let me add my little spin to it. these are my favorite fillings:

Strawberry Nectarine Apple Apricot

Try your own thing, be creative!

xliii

Ingredients: 1. 1 cup of chocolate chips

Orange Chocolate Mouse I would say this is more like fudge than mouse. I have been making it since I was little and my family loves it.

2. 2 eggs, separated 3. 1 tablespoon of orange juice 4. 1 teaspoon of orange zest

In a small sauce pan, begin melting the chocolate. This should be at low heat so the chocolate does not burn. Once melted, add the two egg yolks, the orange juice and zest. Once smooth and incorporated, take off the heat and allow to cool. While it is cooling, take the egg whites and whisk them until small air bubbles form. It is does not have to be whisked much, just until it is a little frothy. At this point, add the whites to the chocolate mixture in a few batches. Put the whole mixture into a bowl and allow it to cool in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, use an ice cream scooper to place a few scoops in a small glass bowl. Serve.

Ingredients 1. 3 mangos 2. 1 container of raspberries 3. 2 tablespoons of butter 4. a pinch of cinnamon 5. 1 teaspoon of honey 6. 1 cup of whipping cream

Mango and Raspberries with Whipped Cream This dessert is very simple but super rewarding. Special equipment: A hand mixer Using a veggie peeler, peel the skins off the mangos. Cutting around the core, cut the mangos into 1 inch squares. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Once melted, add in the cut mango, raspberries, and cinnamon. Let all these cook together until the mango is soft and the raspberries fall apart. Take off the heat and let cool. Meanwhile put the whipping cream in a bowl and use the hand mixer to whip the cream until small peaks form. Once this happens, add in the honey and mix again until stiff peaks form. Put some of the mango mixture into a bowl and top with some whipped cream. Serve.

"Learn how to cook - try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless and above all have fun." - Julia Child