La Sirena Cocktail (The Mermaid)

 We had a version of this at the Round Cantina on Butler Street from their cocktail taps, and loved it. This is my version, because they didn't give me the actual recipe! It's like a souped up Paloma!

4 oz grapefruit juice 

2 oz tequila (or less!)

2 oz Aperol

1/2 oz lemon juice

5 cc (1 tsp) agave syrup

Stir and serve over lots of ice.

We did this as a pitcher for a party. Popped it in the fridge to chill and brought it out in an insulated growler for serving. (Chill growler in the freezer night before if you can!)

28 oz grapefruit juice

14 oz tequila (I think 10 oz might be wiser!)

14 oz Aperol

3.5 oz lemon juice

2 - 4 tablespoons Agave syrup

So this makes close to a half gallon, 7 drinks or so.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies (Ina Garten and Hana)

 Hana from Bon Appetit’s take on Ina Garten’s recipe

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
• 7 ounces unsweetened coconut, processed to small bits (like Trader Joe’s)*
• Raspberry and/or apricot jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1-1/4 inch balls. (If you have a scale, they should each weigh 1 ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.

*This is Hana’s variation from using sweetened shredded coconut

Copyright 2002, Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, All Rights Reserved

 

Sauce Rémoulade (Bittman)

(From The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005)

Forget tartar sauce. Rémoulade is its predecessor, and it’s superior in every way, the ideal sauce for grilled (and other) fish.

Ingredients

makes about 1 cup

1 cup mayonnaise, preferably homemade (page 602)

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons chopped capers

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves or a pinch of dried

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 anchovy fillets, minced, optional

1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

1.       Step 1

If you’ve already made the mayonnaise, combine it with all the remaining ingredients. If you’re making the mayonnaise for this recipe and you’re using a food processor or blender, you can save yourself some mincing by adding the garlic at the beginning and pulsing in the other solid ingredients while the sauce is still in the machine.

Step 2

The sauce will keep well in the refrigerator for a few days, though it will lose a bit of intensity each day. To freshen it before serving, squeeze in a little lemon juice.

 Just for comparison, here's Bobby Flay's Tartar Sauce recipe:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
  
  
• 1/3 cup finely chopped dill pickle (or relish)
  
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
  
  
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped capers
  
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped chives or ¼ tsp onion powder
  
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
  
  
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  
  
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  
  
• 1/8 tsp each salt, and pepper, plus more to taste

 

 

 

 

Ultranutty Pecan Bars (Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen)

 Original Recipe source: Ultranutty Pecan Bars | America's Test Kitchen

 Makes 24 bars

 TIME 1 hour, plus 1½ hours cooling

 A couple notes:

·       This did not work in our stainless steel All-Clad 13 x 9 pan. The cookie layer didn’t brown. A cheap darker pan from TJ Maxx ($7) worked great.

·       I ran out of light corn syrup for my second batch and used dark corn syrup and I thought it was better.

·       I thought the original crust recipe wasn’t enough. Too thin for me, so I used the “Crust x 1.25” measurements below, and that was better.

INGREDIENTS

Crust

1 ¾ cups (8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons (2 2/3 ounces) sugar

½ teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons melted

 

Crust x 1.25 (Recommended):

All-purpose flour | 273.75 grams

Sugar | 93.75 grams

Salt | 3.75 grams

Unsalted butter, melted | 141.75 grams

 

Topping

¾ cup packed (5 1/4 ounces) light brown sugar

½ cup light dark corn syrup (164 grams)

7 tablespoons melted and hot

1 teaspoon

½ teaspoon salt

4 cups (1 pound) pecan halves, toasted

½ teaspoon fancy flake salt, like Malden’s (optional)

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

It is important to use pecan halves, not pieces. The edges of the bars will be slightly firmer than the center. If desired, trim 1/4 inch from the edges before cutting into bars. Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet in a 350-degree oven until fragrant, 8 to 12 minutes, shaking the sheet halfway through.

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Lightly spray foil with vegetable oil spray.

 

Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir with wooden spoon until dough begins to form. Using your hands, continue to combine until no dry flour remains and small portion of dough holds together when squeezed in palm of your hand. Evenly scatter tablespoon-size pieces of dough over surface of pan. Using your fingertips and palm of your hand, press and smooth dough into even thickness in bottom of pan.

 

FOR THE TOPPING: Whisk sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and salt together in medium bowl until smooth (mixture will look separated at first but will become homogeneous), about 20 seconds. Fold pecans into sugar mixture until nuts are evenly coated.

 

Pour topping over crust. Using spatula, spread topping over crust, pushing to edges and into corners (there will be bare patches). Bake until topping is evenly distributed and rapidly bubbling across entire surface, 23 to 25 minutes.

 

Transfer pan to wire rack and lightly sprinkle with flake sea salt, if using. Let bars cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 1/2 hours. Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 24 bars. (Bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.)

 

Kung Pao Chicken

 

Adapted from Christine Gallary and Mrs. Chiang’s Szechwan Cookbook

Ingredients

For the chicken and sauce:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks

 

Marinade:

1/4 cup tamari or light soy sauce 

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

1 tablespoon cornstarch (Dunlop uses Potato flour)

1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (This was too salty!)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper

 

Final Sauce:

1 tablespoon Chinese black (Chinkiang) or rice vinegar (2 tbls. - Dunlop)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon sambal oelek or chili-garlic paste

(Dunlop uses mix of  2 tsp. each light and dark soy sauce)

2 tsp. sesame oil (Dunlop)

1.5 tsp potato flour (Dunlop)

Remaining marinade from chicken

 

For the stir-fry:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

2 medium bell peppers, large dice

2 medium celery stalks, thinly sliced on a slight diagonal

(Optional: Additional veg. See below.)

Kosher salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger (from a 1-inch piece)

1/2  1 cup roasted peanuts

2 medium scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

Steamed rice, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken in a medium bowl. Place the tamari or soy sauce, wine or sherry, cornstarch, sesame oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the mixture over the chicken and toss to combine; set the chicken aside.

Make the sauce. Add the vinegar, sugar, and sambal to the remaining marinade and whisk until the sugar is dissolved; set this sauce aside.

Stir-fry the vegetables and aromatics. Heat a flat-bottomed wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat until very hot (a flick of water should sizzle and evaporate right away), about 2 minutes. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the oil, add the bell peppers and celery, and season with salt. Stir-fry with a metal spatula until crisp-tender and browned in spots, about 4 minutes.

(Can add significantly more veg here. We added half a bag of Trader Joes Broccoli slaw later in the cooking, and could have added more or regular broccoli or whatever.)

 Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate.

Stir-fry the chicken. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons oil into the pan. Add the chicken and spread into an even layer. Let cook undisturbed until golden-brown and seared on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir-fry until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Return the vegetables to the pan and stir-fry with the sauce. Add the reserved vegetables and peanuts to the pan. Re-whisk the reserved sauce and marinade left over from chicken to dissolve the cornstarch. Pour into the pan and stir-fry until the sauce thickens, is glossy, and evenly coats everything in the pan, about 1 minute more. Sprinkle with the scallions if using and serve immediately with rice.

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Christine Gallary graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, and she has worked at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW.com. She lives in San Francisco and loves teaching cooking classes. Follow her latest culinary escapades on Instagram.

Three-Cheese pasta in a Skillet

Ingredients: 

3/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1 pound rotini, fusilli or campanelle pasta

12 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, Gruyére or fontina cheese, shredded (3 cups)

3 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup; or maybe mascarpone or even cream cheese)

1 ounce Parmesan, pecorino or Asiago cheese, finely grated (1/2cup)

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

 

Don't forget to cover the skillet while the pasta is cooking and stay close by so you can keep an eye on the mixture and stir every few minutes. Keeping the lid on prevents excessive evaporation of liquid and regular stirring helps guard against a messy overflow. Also, be sure the skillet is off the heat when the cheeses are added so they don't scorch or separate.

From Milk Street. 

1. Heat the broiler with a rack positioned about 8 inches from the element. In a 12-inch broiler-safe skillet, combine 14 cups water, the cream, dry mustard, 1.5 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high, then stir in the pasta. Cover, reduce to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, 7 to 10 minutes; the mixture will be quite soupy.

2. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheddar and Gorgonzola, then stir just to combine. Cover and let stand for 2 minutes to allow the cheeses to soften, then stir until fully melted and smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

3. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the pasta, followed by the panko. Broil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Sprinkle with the chives and serve from the skillet.

Pasta Alla Norma Recipe | adapted from Bon Appétit

 Ingredients

• 1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes
• ⅓ cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. Japanese or globe eggplant, cut into ½" pieces
• 2½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided, plus more
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped oregano
• 1 lb. tubular pasta (such as calamarata or rigatoni)
• 4 oz. ricotta salata, shaved
• Torn basil leaves (for serving)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Dump one 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes with juices into a medium bowl; crush tomatoes with your hands. Set aside.
2. Heat ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Add 1 lb. Japanese or globe eggplant, cut into ½" pieces, and sprinkle with 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is softened and golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

• I put the eggplant into my Lloyd’s Pan with EVOO and salt and pepper. Roasted it at 375, stirring at about 10 minutes and repeating until soft and cooked through.

3. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in same pot over medium-high. Cook 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 3 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste and cook, stirring, until darkened in color, about 2 minutes.
4. Add 2 Tbsp. [or maybe a teaspoon dried] coarsely chopped oregano, 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, and reserved tomatoes. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Return eggplant to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is completely tender and flavors have melded, about 2 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, cook 1 lb. tubular pasta (such as calamarata or rigatoni) in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

• You could set aside portions of the sauce here for freezing, and just make enough pasta for current meal.

6. Add pasta and ½ cup pasta cooking liquid to sauce. Cook, stirring often and adding more pasta cooking liquid if needed, until sauce is thickened and coats pasta, about 2 minutes.

• Set aside more pasta water, you might need it.

7. Divide pasta among shallow bowls. Top with 4 oz. ricotta salata, shaved, dividing evenly, and torn basil leaves. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

• I used Shredded Parm/Romano mix, because that’s what I had.
• I tried the ricotta salata  and did not like it for this recipe. I recommend sticking with the parmesan mixture.

 

Source: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/pasta-alla-norma-recipe

Instant Pot Ratios and Timing: CAH

Basmati Rice (1:1) 6 min High + 8 slow release

Brown Rice: (1:1) 20 minutes High then 20 Minutes slow release.

Quinoa (1:1) 1 min High + 15 slow release

Eggs (1 c water) 8 minutes Low + QR

Presoaked Roman (1:1) 25-30 minutes High or just enough water to cover

Presoaked chickpeas: enough water to cover 19-20 minutes High

Presoaked black beans: enough water to cover 15 min High

steel cut oats (1:2.5) 20 minutes High

Mashed potatoes (1lb, 1/3 c water): 12 High