Midweek food musings: Sugar snap peas

They totally had me at first bite…

Friends and family members are well aware of my recent love affair with sugar snap peas; they've been present during Sunday dinners ever since I rediscovered them at Trader Joe's a couple of months ago.  It’s the combination of fresh crunch and sweetness, not to mention versatility, that I most enjoy. Another nice thing about these cute green pockets of flavor, is that they can stand alone or be a backdrop for dips (like my roasted eggplant, tomato, onion, and bell pepper purée) —and they can be steamed and then served at room temperature (so they’re part of a simple yet delicious make-ahead side!).

Last Sunday I decided to lightly steam them, and mix ‘em up with some lovely leek, garlic,  shallots, and cherry-red bell pepper; they were very well received. And then I took the leftovers (though there wasn't too much left!) for lunch. They offer delicious, and fresh spring-like flavors.

Sugar Snap Peas with Leeks and Bell Peppers

This is Christine's gorgeous version of the recipe! Thanks for sharing this--!

Serves 6 to 8

1 1/2 to 2 pounds sugar snap peas (rinsed and strings removed)

1 quart chicken stock or water

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced

1 large leek, white and light green parts, halved lengthwise and sliced

1 or 2  red bell peppers,  seeded, stemmed, and coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot or steamer, bring the stock or water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the snap peas, and cook for about 5 minutes, until bright green yet still crisp. Drain and shock with cold water. Let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, shallot, leek, and pepper  and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the peas and stir to blend. Transfer to a serving dish. Add the vinegar and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.  

Sunday Dinner: Shrimp Scampi

Garlic + white wine + lemon + shrimp = magic.

Okay, I’m simplifying things a bit—but not by much!

My mom has always been a shrimp fan, so for her birthday, I wanted to make a dish that would be elegant, special, and above all, tasty. I don’t make shrimp every day—and I wanted to use fresh as opposed to frozen, prepare them in a scampi-style way, and atop thin spaghetti. The result was great.  I prepared part of the sauce ahead of time (it’s a time and stress saver!) and then cooked the shrimp at the last minute, while the pasta was cooking. Also, you can easily halve this recipe for 4 to 6 servings.  Also, be sure to keep some fresh crusty Italian bread on hand for dipping into the sauce!

Shrimp Scampi

Serves 9 to 12

1 tablespoon butter (I try to limit it, but yum, so good…)

3 tablespoons olive oil

5 shallots, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 bell peppers, finely chopped

1 cup white wine (I used Three Pears Sauvignon Blanc which is light, floral, with a bit of grapefruit flavors)

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

3 pounds medium-size shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails attached

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (actually I combined my parsley with fresh basil which I had on hand—and that was really nice, too)

Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the shallots, garlic and peppers until they start to soften. Add a half the white wine, some salt and pepper, half the lemon juice and lemon zest.  Cook for about 5 minutes to let the sauce reduce.  Set aside.  

About 10 minutes before serving, and when your pasta has already hit the boiling water, return the shallot mixture to a large pan (sauté or sauce pan) over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until they start to turn pink. Add the remaining white wine, lemon juice, and zest  and heat through (but be careful not to overcook the shrimp!). Taste the sauce and re-season if needed. Remove from heat. Reserve to serve over your spaghetti.

About serving: I plate individually (putting some spaghetti topped with a few shrimp and juice, and then sprinkled with parsley, but you can put your pasta on a platter, top with shrimp and sauce, and then garnish with parsley.

medium-size shrimp, in a luscious white wine, garlic, and lemon sauce

ENJOY!

Sumptous Sips: The Kiwi Caipirinha

Kiwi Caipirinha, pictured here with Brazilian Cheese Puffs
From my first cocktail book, Mambo Mixers

What is a caipirinha? Aside from being Brazil’s national drink, it’s a sultry burst of springtime, blended with samba and all I adore about the biggest country in South America. I’m in love with Brazil. In fact, as I type this, I’m listening to the velvet voice of João Gilberto (Eclipse has to be one of the most magical songs ever composed and sung) and dreaming of beachside strolls along the beaches of Bahia…and beyond. Another sip of caipirinha…

So, why do Iove caipirinhas so much? Because they bring a bit of Brazil to me, here in
New York, and yes, thank you to my many Brazilian friends and students (along with Gramatan Avenue in Mount Vernon) who also bring me the flavor and spark that I often crave. (And oh, I promise, that if you give me a few weeks in Brazil, I will turn my Portoñol into Portuguese…)

In the meantime, I bring to you a version of caipirinha I first enjoyed several years ago in São Paulo and wrote about in Mambo Mixers. This, the kiwi caipirinha, is a simple and colorful interpretation of this drink. Simple, sumptuous, this is a perfect Friday afternoon drink. Enjoy!

Serves 1

1 kiwi, peeled, quartered, plus 1 clase for garnish

1 teaspoon superfine sugar, or to taste

2 ounces cachaça (Brazilian rum) or your favorite light rum

Ice cubes

Place the kiwi and sugar in a tall bar glass. Use a pestle or the end of a wooden spoon to mash the kiwi and sugar together. Add the  cachaça and stir. Add ice, cover, and shake. Pour into a glass, garnish with the kiwi and lime slice, and serve immediately. 

Note: Simply double to make two at a time. I've made pitchers, but it's a tasting thing more than a measuring thing! I'd make one first--so you know what it should taste like--and then go from there...

Midweek Food Musings: The Wonderful World of Greens

Beautiful, full, collard green leaves--

 I know you've seen it just about everywhere lately--and if you haven't seen it, your mom has told you this for years: greens are good for you.  But wow, it's a big world of greens out there! We're so used to sticking to what we know as far as food, but it's great fun to try new things...(I'm a big believer in variety being the spice of life.)  And though I've eaten many different greens, I haven't had the pleasure of preparing as many as I'd like to. So when I interviewed Chef Raymond Jackson of Alvin and friends, and he generously offered to share his recipe for greens, it was my chance to try. 

So I bought 1 bunch of collard greens, and one of mustard greens (the latter has such a wonderful, peppery taste) and was stumped when it came to stemming and cutting. Chef recommends removing the stalks first, rolling the leaves together and then slicing them.  To remove the stalks, I simply folded the large gorgeous leaves in half, pulled off the large stems, and then proceeded with cutting.

As I mentioned, this was my first foray into the world of cooking collard greens. Will I go back? For sure! I also need to confess that I went against my cardinal rule of following a chef’s recipe verbatim the first time I prepare a dish.There were a couple of differences: for one, Chef uses smoked turkey legs (but he said ham hocks are just fine), and blanches his greens and then shocks them in cold water. I skipped the blanching step, but may do it next time. As for you, I leave it up to you! I'm sure you'll enjoy the rich greens, which provided a compelling and tasty backdrop for the tangy-sweet flavors of vinegar, sugar, mustard, beer and hot sauce. The nice thing is that these ingredients don't compete. Collard greens can certainly hold their own. Enjoy!

Serves 6 to 8

1 smoked ham hock

Water or chicken broth

Olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 bottle beer (I used Stella, but next time I might use a darker/richer beer)

1/4 cup apple-cider vinegar

1/4 cup whole grain mustard

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 pounds collard greens (about two bunches), well washed, stems removed, sliced into 1/2-inch-wide strips (you can substitute/combine turnip, kale and/or mustard greens)

Several dashes of Louisiana or your favorite hot sauce

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the ham hock in a soup pot, and add about a quart of water or chicken stock to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cover. Cook until the ham hock starts to separate, and the meat starts to fall off the bone, about 1 1/2 hours (check water; you want to make sure you always have a couple of inches). Remove ham hock from the stock and, at this point, you can skim the fat by straining through a cheese cloth.  Take the skin off the ham hock and shred the meat, discard the bone, and return it to the rich stock.

Meanwhile, in a heavy sauté pan, heat a bit of oil. Add the garlic and onions and cook until they have softened and are just starting to brown.  Add the beer, vinegar, mustard, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer, and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by half, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add the stock and collard greens (Chef Raymond says to add them in this order: collard, turnip, kale and mustard) and bring to a simmer. Reduce the temp to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the collard greens have wilted and have lost their brightness and are tender (about 20 minutes but could be more, depending on the age of the greens). Season to taste with hot sauce, salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature with some of the juices from the pan. 

Sunday Dinners: Pistachio Pesto

Pesto, a beautifully simple condiment-type sauce, can be changed and enjoyed in so many different ways. Years ago, when my parents had a home in Massachusetts with a prolific garden, pesto was the answer for using and preserving the gorgeous green and aromatic plants that seemed to just keep growing and growing from July through September. Though my mom always made a more traditional pesto—with basil, parmesan, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil— and used it exclusively as a pasta sauce, I began exploring variations a few years ago.

Actually, I first started playing with different ingredients by changing the nuts (I started using toasted walnuts—and pecans). Then, when I was working on The Hot Latin Diet, I had the privilege of collaborating with amazing chef, Sue Torres (and I will interview her one of these days for this blog!). Anyway, we were lucky because she shared her cilantro pesto with us all—which she has served in her NYC restaurant Sueños, atop grilled vegetables.  Thanks to Sue, I started playing with cilantro and toasted pine nuts—along with basil—in my pesto. But it wasn’t only the ingredients that Sue encouraged me to explore; it was also what I served it with. So now I use it like her with grilled vegetables, or simply on baguette rounds, often with slices of tomato and fresh mozzarella, or, of course, on pasta!  

My explorations with pesto continue.  In fact, this weekend I had the privilege of enjoying my friend Mary’s incarnation of the cilantro pesto recipe I had given her. Her interpretation included small chunks of avocado as part of a spread for baguette rounds. The result? Delicioso…

But back to Pistachio Pesto—

Not too long ago, Saveur magazine had an issue featuring different kinds of pestos. It was there that I first saw Pesto di Pistacchio, and decided to try it. It’s been very well received! I usually serve it with pasta, but I also enjoy it on top baguette slices. I’m sure that as you play, you’ll find your own favorite ways to create and serve it. Enjoy!

Pistachio Pesto  

PIstachio pesto--on a baguette slice, and with pasta

Makes about  2 cups

2 cups packed basil leaves

1 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups dry-roasted pistachios

1 cup packed cilantro leaves (I do include some of the stems--but not the roots)

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, or parmesan (or to taste)

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (or to taste)

3 cloves garlic

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine  all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until well blended.  Season with additional salt and pepper as desired. Serve immediately or store in a covered container in the fridge for up to five days.

Sumptuous Sips: Simple works for drinks, too!

 Kumquat and Raspberry-Kissed Prosecco.

Last week I wrote about small gestures being huge; that’s still on my mind. Yesterday morning I tried a “test” that I’ve administered before. And no, for all of you who know my  other life is that of an administrator/teacher, it’s not that kind of test. I administer this test while I’m running.

The "test" starts when I make eye contact with the people who are walking towards me. Now, it’s not a crowd I’m looking at; usually I pass under a dozen people, including many I have seen before (and, in fact, see every day—like the crossing guards, my son’s third grade reading teacher, my favorite sanitation truck driver and his crew, a former student who brings her granddaughter to school, and more…)

So here’s the test:  I smile, especially at people who look a bit down and distracted,  to I see if I’ll get one in return. You know what? I almost always get a big smile—as well as a heartfelt “Have a great day!” What does this test do?  It renews my faith in just about everything; there's nothing like seeing someone's face go from a grimace to a grin. This makes my day that much sweeter…


...And speaking of sweeter, here’s my treat for you.

Most of you, like me, are jugglers: you move between job(s), and roles (caretaker, parent, child, colleague, etc!) in your life. So, after a long day, you want simple. Here, my friends, is a super simple sip for you.

This week’s Sumptous Sip requires just two ingredients: Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine) and fresh fruit. My favorite Prosecco these days is Prosecco Brut Mionetto (the one that has a very Veuve-Clicquotish-colored label!) which I also drink without any fruit at all. Also, I don’t add any juices to it—for that I have another one, which I’ll save for another day! (By the way--if you don't drink wine, you can always make this with sparkling water, but then I might add a splash of fresh juice...or not!)

 Prosecco and Fresh Fruit Cocktail

I bottle well-chilled Prosecco

Fresh raspberries, and/or blackberries, strawberries, or sliced kumquats (I'm still on a kumquat kick--and I like the color combination of raspberry-red and kumquat-orange!) 

Place your desired combo of fresh fruit in a chilled wine glass. Add your Prosecco, and serve! 

Monday's Post: Sunday Dinners, featuring Pistachio Pesto!

With Alvin and Friends in New Rochelle

With Alvin Clayton 

Chef Raymond Jackson, in talking about being a chef, says, “ It’s not that you choose the [restaurant] industry; it chooses you!”

In the kitchen of Alvin and Friends with Chef Raymond Jackson

And just one bite of his food will tell you: The industry has chosen well. Alvin and Friends’ head chef is a man whose passion is evident in every dish he prepares.

Last week my friend Karen and I visited, and enjoyed  a wonderful selection of appetizers: Crispy Cornmeal Fried Oysters, lightly drizzled with Buttermilk-Herb Aioli, Jerk Shrimp (what a wonderful layering of flavors—Karen called it simply beautiful...) with Ginger Sweet Potato Salad, and silky smooth Scallop Ceviche with Bajan Spiced Avocado and Plantain Chips. I will soon return to enjoy  Jerk-Rubbed Duck Breast, Calabaza Bread Pudding and Figs with a Port Wine Reduction, and more. The menu showcases Chef Raymond's talent of combining Caribbean and southern-infused flavors and textures, to yield delicately layered, satisfying combinations--delights for the eye and, of course, the palate. 

But it’s not just Chef Raymond who’s the charm of Alvin and Friends.

  Oysters--as described--with Alvin's luscious rum punch on the right...

Like his chef, owner Alvin Clayton boasts both an interesting history, and a plethora of talents. He’s a restaurateur, chef, and painter. In addition, he’s a former supermodel, for both Wilhelmina and Ford, who has spent time living in great cities like Paris, where he became influenced not only by the fascinating cuisine, but also by the magic of artist Henri Matisse. Clayton's artwork, colorful and inviting, beautifully dons the walls of his restaurant.

Lucky for us local folks that the Claytons are in New Rochelle! (And if you're not local, this place is definitely worth a trip to the Queen City of the Sound!) What we can most enjoy, is the fact that in addition to a seasonally-changing menu of perfectly-prepared Caribbean and southern dishes, a wonderfully welcoming staff, and a restaurant that is such a pleasure to be in and to behold, Alvin Clayton guides you through your Alvin and Friends experience as if it were his home.    

Both Clayton and Jackson make one thing very clear: Heart and soul are key ingredients for anyone who wants to be successful in the restaurant industry. Clearly, these two are models to emulate.

www.alvinandfriendsrestaurant.com

49 Lawton Street, New Rochelle, NY 10801

(914) 654-6549