Pizza Bagel. Schmaltz.

Autumn Fruit Chopped Salad

My husband loves salads with “lots of stuff in it,” while I tend to go for just a few key seasonal ingredients. Somehow, we both loved this salad, a chopped flavorful salad with lots of texture.

For salad:

• 2 cups butter lettuce or romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled and diced
• 1/2 gala apple, diced
• 1/2 asian pear, diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup candied pecans or walnuts
• 1/4 dried cherries or cranberries

For dressing:

• 2 Tbsp mayo, or light mayo
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, mustard, honey, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper until combined thoroughly. Drizzle olive oil until dressing emulsifies.

In a large salad bowl, combine all ingredients. Add dressing to taste.

Enjoy!

Olive Tapenade

Confession: I have absolutely brought recipes with me from each of my past relationships. In fact, I think the only thing that all of my exes have in common is the fact that they also loved food like I do.

My olive tapenade recipe is an adaptation from an ex-boyfriend’s mother who was, while no great fan of me, all the same a very good cook. I guess when life hands you lemonade, make tapenade?!

I like to make my olive tapenade with mixed pitted olives, but you can also stick with just Kalamata olives, green olives, or the olive of your choice.

Mixed Olive Tapenade

• 2 cups mixed, pitted olives
• 3-4 garlic cloves, whole
• 1 tsp chopped anchovies or anchovy paste
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp dry white wine
• 1/4 cup good quality olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, pulse together olives, garlic, anchovies and lemon zest until mixed evenly. Slowly drizzle in wine and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to your liking.

Serve with a fresh baguette, crackers or challah. A little cheese wouldn’t hurt anyone either.

Enjoy!

Humpday Food Porn

Home made spaghetti and meatballs. Mmmm. And check out the recipe for Pizza Bagel Meatballs if you want to make these bad balls at home.

Pumpkin Lasagna

You may have noticed I have a bit of an obsession with all things Pumpkin. Last Autumn it was pumpkin mac n cheese. And this year I brought out an old favorite I have not made for awhile: pumpkin lasagna.

Most people relate lasagna with the classic Italian American dish with cheese and tomato sauce, which is of course all fine and good.  But lasagna can come in lots of varieties that do not include a red sauce at all.This pumpkin lasagna recipe includes a classic bechamel sauce which is easy to make and a very useful sauce to have within your arsenal.

Pumpkin Lasagna

• 12 lasagna sheets (fresh if you can find)
• 1.5 cups pumpkin puree
• 8 oz ricotta
• 2 eggs
• 2.5 cups shredded gruyere
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 batch classic bechamel sauce
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Boil a large pot of water to boil lasagna noodles. Cook the noodle only 7-8 minutes, or until al dente. When noodles are ready, drain and lay out flat on a cooking sheet until ready to assemble. To prevent sticking, you can drizzle with a touch of olive oil.

In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, ricotta and eggs until smooth. Fold in 2 cups of gruyere (set aside the remaining 1/2 cup), and add salt and pepper.

In the meantime, in a small sauce pan, whisk together butter and flour for bechamel sauce. Add warm milk to prevent lumps and allow to thicken following directions as above. Add a touch of salt and nutmeg at the end.

In a baking pan, spread a thin layer of bechamel over the bottom of the pan. Lay out noodles on top. Spread pumpkin cheese mixture, with another layer of bechamel on top. Repeat with noodles, cheese mixture and bechamel until only a layer of noodles remains. Sprinkle the rest of the gruyere right on top. A little extra cheese won’t hurt anyone if you have it.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until noddles crisp on the edges, and cheese begins to bubble. Serve with a lightly dressed mesclun salad, and a gorgeous light white or rose. Enjoy!

Welcome to NJ

After a long hiatus while I was summering and moving, I am back and I have moved to NJ. I know – its painful for me to even write those words.  A colleague sent me a message on Facebook recently that read “well, hurricanes, earthquake – and now you have moved to NJ – I know hell has frozen over!” Indeed, I will be blogging for the next year from Jersey City, NJ – which while I do not love yet - I am finding some great foodie treats to occupy my time and stomach.

For example, there is Taqueria on Grove Street – from the outside, it looks like a nothing, hole in the wall. But inside – its casual, BYOB and the food is just outrageous. We liked the special veggie quesadilla so much that we ordered a second. And this is not an ordinary flour tortilla quesadilla – its stuffed with veggies, mushrooms cotija cheese in a lightly fried-to-perfection shell.

Or there is Legal Grounds Coffee, on Grand Street. Reminds me of a proper coffee house, like the ones in Northampton, MA where I went to college. Great breakfast and lunch options, but more importantly, fantastic coffee, and a special brew each day.

And of course, there is the Brownstone Diner, known for their Food-TV made famous pancakes. And I can attest – the pancakes are pure fluffy deliciousness!

So lastly, in honor of my move to NJ, I want to share with you my recipe for “NJ Sangria” even though Sangria season may have slightly passed. Then again, there really is no wrong time for fabulous sangria.

“NJ” Boxed Wine Sangria

• Boxed wine of your choice (or any lighter variety of wine)
• 2 cups Triple Sec or Brandy of your choice
• 2 oranges, sliced
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• A few springs of mint
• 2 cups seltzer water or Fresca soda

The night before you want to serve the sangria, take the sliced fruit, triple sec or brandy and 1-2 cups of the wine and put into a plastic container or bowl, cover, and leave in the fridge. This will give the fruit the chance to absorb the alcohol, and also for the wine to pick up the flavor of the fruit.

When ready to serve, get a large bowl ready, and pour in the boxed wine. Add the wine soaked fruit, seltzer or fresca (you can also use orangina, sprite, etc.) and the rest of the wine. Add mint, and some ice cubes if the sangria needs more chilling.

Cheap and delicious “NJ” sangria. Enjoy!

Humpday Food Porn

Oreo cupcakes from a recent party for my sister. Enjoy!

Bloody Mary Gazpacho

While a lot of people love bloody marys to drink, I have found not as many people love gazpacho - a chilled, Spanish tomato soup. But summertime is the perfect time for a cool soup as a light appetizer. Here is a recent recipe I tried, which combined cocktail with soup, served in a playful martini glass and garnished like a brunch-time drink. Even my husband, who hates gazpacho, didn’t mind this spiked, spicy version.

• 1.5 lbs plum tomatoes, seeded and quartered
• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
• 1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1.5 Tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1.5 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1.5 cups all natural tomato juice
• 1-2 Tbsp horseradish (or to taste)
• hot sauce, to taste
• 1 cup vodka (if desired)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 celery stalks, sliced for garnish

In a food processor, pulse together tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and garlic. When smooth, add vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, salt and pepper for and pulse a few more times.

In a large mixing bowl, add the hot sauce, tomato juice and vodka until desired consistency.

Place in refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Instant Mocha Latte

Before I dive into my new favorite coffee trick, I have to apologize, yet again, for being a delinquent blogger. After so much Passover cooking,I definitely needed a breather from being in the kitchen 24/7, so I have some posts forthcoming.

In the meantime, I have to share my new coffee trick and also my favorite coffee blend.

First up: dreamy coffee from Sylvesters in Sag Harbor, NY. This coffee is, well, theres really no other word for it: it’s simply dreamy. Smooth, deep, with just a hint of chocolatey goodness. You may never be able drink anything else again. And you can order it online here! If you happen to find yourself in the charming town of Sag Harbor, then I reccomend stopping by and also grabbing one of their “Double Dare Ya” cookies which is packed with white and milk chocolate, nuts, encased in a buttery dough which drips with fat and deliciousness. My husband cannot resist these, and so I try to keep him away.

Moving right along: the coffee trick.

As you might surmise from my description above, I love a little chocolate with my coffee. I mean, who doesn’t?

To make yourself an instant mocha, for either espresso or drip coffee, I reccomnd the following: mix together 1 cup sugar with 2 1/2 Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder. Instead of adding the sugar alone to your morning cup, add thesugar-cocoa mixture!

Enjoy!

Kosher Vin Santo Wine

Well, I have been proven wrong. It happens about 3 times per year.

Remember that time when I said it would be nearly impossible to find Kosher Vin Santo wine in order to make a proper (kosher) Tuscan Liver Spread?

Well lo and behold - it has been discovered.

You can order Kosher Vina Santo here, though I cannot yet vouch for quality.

By Popular Demand: Passover Desserts

Passover desserts really suck, eh? And while flourless chocolate torte is a tried and trustworthy favorite, sometimes you need to mix it up.

Both of these Passover-ideal dessert recipes have been inspired by other recipes, and require almost NO alteration from the original, which is why they are so good! When I look for Passover recipes, I look for things that won’t require a complicated, mad scientist approach to replacing flour. Instead, I look for things that don’t require flour in the first place! I promise you won’t be disapointed…

Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (inspired by THIS recipe)

• 1 cup almond butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together first four ingredients until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts. Bake for 11 minutes, and then let cool for 5 minutes while cookies remain on the baking sheet. Tranfer to baking rack to cool completely.

Cheesecake with Almond Crust (inspired by THIS recipe)

For crust:

• 1 cup almonds
• 2/3 cup walnuts
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp melted butter

For filling:

• 4 packages of cream cheese (not Temptee)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your springform pan with extra aluminum foil.

In a food processor, mix the almonds and walnuts with 3 Tbsp sugar. Add melted butter until slightly wet, resembling small crumbs. Pat into bottom of spring form pan, and bake for 11-12 minutes, just until golden.

In a large bowl, whip cream cheese with hand mixer until smooth. Add eggs, sugar, vanilla, zest and lemon juice.

Pour filling into prepared crust, and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the center moves just slightly, and the edges start to brown lightly.

Refrigerate until completely chilled. Serve with berries or whipped cream (optional).