I belong to a wonderful book club. For over a decade we have shared advice, laughed and cried together, had meals together, oh, and read books, too. There are seven of us. We’re a somewhat eclectic group comprised of one vegan, two pescetarians, a vegetarian and the rest who eat almost everything. We have a monthly potluck where the host prepares the main dish. One November, our meal took on epic proportions and resembled a vegetarian Thanksgiving feast. I made this hearty, jewel-like...
I really like good smoked salmon. It’s one of those foods that I rarely get tired of, be it on toast with a squeeze of lemon, with a poached egg, with scrambled eggs, in a soufflé, in a sandwich, on a flatbread or pizza. I’m beginning to sound like Sam I Am and his green eggs and ham but there are really very few things that I would not eat smoked salmon with. Adding salmon to salads adds a certain elegance and richness to the dish.Serves 8 people¼ cup pistachios — roughly chopped ¼...
For the pastry: 9 oz unbleached all-purpose flour 5 ½ oz slightly softened butter – cut up into small pieces. 1 large egg Zest of 1 lemon Pinch of salt 4-5 turns of freshly ground black pepper Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 10-inch fluted tart pan and set aside. Prepare the pastry dough: a) Place all the ingredients in the bowl of the food processor fitted with a metal blade. b) Use repeated pulses until the mixture resembles coarse...
Serves 6 – 8 people1 large or 2 medium butternut squash—halved and seeded Olive oil 1 large onion—thinly sliced 5 1/2 cups vegetable stock Salt and pepper 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt or creme fraiche 2 tablespoons chives—chopped Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush a little olive oil on a baking sheet and place the squash cut-side down. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, scoop the pulp out of the shell. You should have about 6-7 cups of pulp. Pour a little...
Kale salads are all the rage right now (well kale in general). It’s become the HOT green if that’s possible. I think that spinach had its glory days some years ago and then it was arugulas turn. The thing is I LOVE kale. It’s a veggie I discovered relatively recently. We did not eat kale in London where I grew up. Spinach: yes, chard: check, arugula: absolutely. Kale: not a mouthful until I came to California. Now I add it to everything. It has become another one of my fads, although I...
It all began with this salad. This is the salad my grandmother made every day. Its the salad we ate at home and its the first salad I learnt how to make. She would painstakingly rinse the greens, dry the leaves delicately in a tea towel and assemble it just a couple of minutes before dinner. Sometimes shed add chives, which she would cut with scissors hanging from a hook underneath her kitchen cabinets, kept specifically for that purpose. It was so simple and refreshing. The key is getting...
Simple Vinaigrette 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar Pinch of sea salt 4–5 grinds of black pepper Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together vigorously to form an emulsion. Refrigerated, this vinaigrette will keep for 2 weeks. If it separates, re-whisk it to recreate the emulsion. This vinaigrette can be used on all green salads. Use a lighter vinegar (white wine or perhaps an apple cider) when serving with delicate greens, such as mache (lamb’s...
After his marvelous book Plenty, Yotem Ottolenghi, chef, food columnist for The Guardian, cook book author and generally a most-gifted man when it comes to all things culinary has turned his hand to the food of Jerusalem. Written with his head chef Sami Tamimi, this book focuses on the vibrant food of their home town. Both men were born in this Muslim, Jewish, and Christian community. Ottolenghi in the Jewish west, and Tamimi in the Arab east side. This beautiful book serves up 120 recipes, an...
I like this time of year, being bundled up in a warm sweater, a scarf wrapped around my neck and feeling a cool breeze in the air. Thankfully we do not have brutal winters here but it is nice to feel and see the change in the seasons. This is the time of year for soups and stews and dishes that warm you up from the inside.The markets are filled with root vegetables – fantastic for roasting with olive oil and some herbs, or to make a scrumptious soup. I found some beautiful multicolored...
SAUTÉED PLUOTS Pluots are also wonderful sautéed in a pan with a little butter, a pinch of cinnamon and a little brown sugar. The juice from the fruit caramelizes in the pan. Served warm with some vanilla ice cream this makes a quick and easy summertime dessert. Serves 8 people 1oz butter ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon light brown sugar 16–20 pluots—quartered Fresh mint—chopped Place the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is foaming add in the cinnamon...
