le sauce

burrata with pumpkin seed pesto and chlies

Not a recipe, just a suggestion.

I've sung the praises of burrata before. So good, I like to have it as simply as possible:

1. Grill or lightly toast a thick, airy slice of bread, rub it lightly with a cut clove of garlic and season with salt while it's still hot. 
2. Quarter a ball of burrata lengthwise, lay a slice on top and press/smear it over the crostini with the back of your spoon. 
3. FInish with some fresh, finely sliced or baby basil leaves, a drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of Maldon salt and the tiniest bit of freshly cracked black pepper. 
4. Eat and ascend to the heavens simultaneously.

Pesto while all about intense flavour, is as simple too. I like to experiment with it--you take any nut, any herb, any cheese, even change up the oil and away you go.

I put the these two together when I want to spoil myself or someone else. A pumpkin seed pesto and a little chili oil on burrata is a great idea, if you need one. You probably don't though--whatever you're craving at the moment will be far more satisfying than anything anyone else suggests. I would only advise, if you're spurging on burrata, you might as well get yourself the best bread you can find and top it with the best salt you have on hand. Break the burrata apart any way you'd like, serve slivers even. And ok, one last word, pick this up and bite into it. Don't even think of denying your teeth the pleasure of sinking in.

One standard-size piece of burrata should serve 4 people who want a taste--6 even if you're serving this with bread, as suggested. It could also serve 3 greedy people. Or 2, very unwise people, who will not feel so great half an hour after eating too much of a too-rich thing. Trust me.

(See how this recipe fits into a lazy, Sunday, spaghetti dinner party menu!)

roasted domino potatoes

I confess to have plucked this recipe from the pages of a magazine and inserted it into my dinner party menu solely based on its looks (the magazine image looked prettier than mine, as you might imagine). Had I stopped to consider that it had exactly one herb seasoning it, and four ingredients total, including the potatoes themselves, I might have passed it over for being to simple for a special meal. My shallowness pays off again! I loved these. I want them now.

The (slight) pains you take to shave the potatoes into dominos and stack them accordingly, gives you a soft scalloped-potato-like texture where they overlap and a crispy, shattered edge too--the little burnt edges are actually awesome. I've never used so many bay leaves in my life. It just works.  

(See how this recipe fits into an indulgent deep-winter dinner party menu.)

Roasted Domino Potatoes
(Via Bon Appetit) 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
3 1/2 pounds Idaho potatoes (4-6 large)
24 (about) fresh or dried bay leaves
Kosher salt and fleur de sel

Preheat oven to 425°. Brush a 13x9x2" baking dish or cast-iron griddle with 2 Tbsp. butter. Peel potatoes and trim ends (do not rinse). Trim all 4 sides of potatoes to form a rectangle. Using a mandoline, cut potatoes crosswise into 1/8" slices, keeping slices in stacks as best you can.
Re-form slices from each potato into a stack. Place in prepared dish, fanning apart slightly like a deck of cards. Insert bay leaves between potato slices at even intervals. Season with salt and drizzle with remaining 4 Tbsp. butter.
Bake potatoes, rotating the dish halfway through cooking, until the edges are crisp and golden and the centers are tender, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.

LS baking academy: custards (& flans)

A custard is simply a liquid that has been combined with eggs or part of the egg...and then cooked until set or thickened. --From James Peterson's "Cooking"

I love James Peterson for breaking things down so simply. Now if only he or someone else (you?) could explain the difference between crème caramel and caramel flan to me, I would sleep so much better at night. No matter--at the moment, I just want to learn to do this right, by any name. Today, the le sauce baking academy tackles whatever it is that's described above.

First up, a savoury custard (surprise). This is a baking academy, and I'm interested in learning about temperature and cooking time, so although the recipe below originally calls for steaming the caramel on the stove, I chose to bake it and pay attention to how long it takes for caramel to set at a moderate 350F degrees. The recipe calls for this custard to be "lightly set", different than my family's caramel flan which is creamy but semi-firm. The latter is also served cool whereas this softer custard is served warm.

grilled halloumi with grape-walnut relish

The whole summer went by and I didn't grill any halloumi! Quite remarkable since some summer's I do nothing but. We bought two bricks of the stuff to take to a barbeque a few weeks ago, that we ultimately couldn't attend, and the shrink-wrapped bricks have been sitting around in my fridge ever since. (Luckily, it's not a fresh cheese and in North America, its sold packed in brine and sealed air-tight so it lasts a long time if refrigerated and unopened.)

Halloumi gets ooey and runny when heated, while still holding its shape and without separating like some cheeses would. It's not like I need a recipe for it when it's perfection simply brushed with oil and heated in a pan. (Aaaand, as it turns out, I already have several recipes and ideas for halloumi to begin with.) But I've never paired it with something as strong as rosemary or as sweet as grilled grapes, so I found this recipe intriguing. It's a great balance of flavours and salty halloumi still gets to be the star, with walnuts and grilled bread adding texture and making it a meal. It's something that's ideal for summer when you're likely standing over a barbeque weekly, but I found it works perfectly well using a grill pan on your stovetop too.

Grilled Halloumi with Rosemary-Grape-Walnut Relish and Garlic Bread

(Via Fine Cooking)

YS Note: *While this recipe instructs you to use an outdoor grill, you can easily make this on the stove using a seasoned or well-oiled grill pan or even a non-stick skillet. You can take all kinds of other liberties with this recipe too, like I did, opting for thyme over rosemary and using baguette slices.

1 medium red onion, cut into 3 to 4 thick slices 
2 Tbs. plus 4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil 
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
12 oz. halloumi cheese, cut into 3/8-inch-thick slabs (or aged provolone, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices) 
2 large cloves garlic, minced 
1 small loaf ciabatta (about 8 oz.),cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices 
1/2 cup walnuts 
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary 
1 large bunch seedless black or red grapes (about 1-1/4 lb.) 
2 to 3 tsp. balsamic vinegar 

Prepare a high gas or charcoal grill fire.*

Drizzle the onion slices with 2 tsp. of the oil and lightly season them with salt and pepper. Pat the cheese dry and drizzle with 2 tsp. of the oil. In a small bowl, mix the remaining 2 Tbs. of oil, the garlic, and a pinch each of salt and pepper; brush the mixture evenly over one side of the bread slices.

Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Coarsely chop the walnuts while still hot and transfer them to a medium bowl. Mix in the rosemary.

Put the onion slices and bunch of grapes on the grill grate. Cover and grill, turning once, until the grapes are bursting and the onions are grill marked, about 10 minutes. Transfer the grapes to the bowl with the walnuts, and the onions to a cutting board. Use tongs to simultaneously pull the grapes from their stems and crush them, dropping them into the bowl. Chop the grilled onions and add them to the bowl. Season to taste with the vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Clean and oil the grill grate. Put the bread and cheese on the grate and grill uncovered, turning once, until marked on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes (about 1 minute if using provolone).

Divide the cheese, bread, and relish among 4 plates and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a light dinner

LS baking academy: biscuits & scones

(sun-dried tomato, comté and tarragon scones, to be specific)

You know I welcome the chance to turn a sweet recipe savoury, but with the recipes I make for the le sauce baking academy, it's not always that easy. When I chose to focus on biscuits and scones, I knew I had my chance. I came across a scone recipe on Chocolate and Zucchini, and though that version with cheese and dried pears sounded lovely, I opted to tweak it to one that I'd find even more satisfying. It may not be a scone you eat at breakfast, but then again, why not? I have, twice this week. It's not overly complex--the sun-dried tomatoes are minced so you never trip over a chewy piece, and the tarragon adds an essence more than a strong flavour. Comté is, well, comté, it is bold. But that's what you want in a cheesy scone. 

 

And though this was my first time making scones, I can already see why everyone regards them as easy. No machinery, no real kneading, you sort of just coax the dough together. In the end, you have that familiar biscuit/scone texture: dense yet layered with an outside only slightly crisp. The fact that I felt I could play around with the recipe my first time out is indicative of how un-intimidating this is. But that doesn't mean that I don't want to hear from those of you who make scones every weekend!

This is, after all, the le sauce baking academy where those of us who can't, rely on those of you who do. Please leave tips about and links to your scone or biscuit pursuits in the comments on this post, and I'll be back on October 5 with a follow-up post and recipe based on that learning and more scone exploration. Thanks! 

Sun-dried Tomato, Comté and Tarragon Scones 
(Adapted from More from ACE Bakery via Chocolate and Zucchini)

180 g (1 1/3 c) all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
Pinch of ground cayenne pepper (or better yet, piment d'Espelette)
3/4 tsp kosher salt
75 g (6 tbs) unsalted butter, diced
85 g (1 c) coarsely grated comté (or another aged firm cheese like gouda or Parmesan)
20 g (2 tbs) minced, dry sun-dried tomatoes, or if packed in oil, drained, squeezed of any oil and blotted until dry
1 tbs finely chopped fresh tarragon (or basil, chives or dill)
100 ml (7 tbs) light (15%) cream
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tbs fresh water

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper and salt. Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with the tips of your fingers or a wire pastry blender, until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Add the cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and tarragon, and blend with a fork.

Add the cream and mix it in gently with the fork until the dough comes together -- add a tad more cream or ice-cold water if the dough is too dry. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface, gather into a ball, and roll out into a 2-cm-thick (3/4-inch) circle. Cut out circles of dough using a 6-cm (2 1/2-inch) cookie cutter or juice glass and transfer onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about an inch of space between each. Gather the rest of the dough into a ball and repeat the rolling and cutting steps until you've used up all the dough.

Use a pastry brush or the back of a teaspoon to brush the top of the rounds with the egg yolk mixture. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffy and golden, rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking. Let cool on a rack for a few minutes and serve. The scones will keep for a few days at room temperature, wrapped tightly in foil. Reheat for five minutes in a warm oven before serving.

Makes 9 pieces.

more herbs than you can shake a chef's knife at

As I mentioned in a recent article on iVillage Canada, I like to frequent farmer's markets and my mother pushes produce plucked from her thriving garden on me all summer long. Between the two, I thought I knew a thing or two about herbs. I've had to get creative to use up what was a bushel of tarragon. I have fresh, dry and frozen curry leaves in my house at this very moment and will soon be housing my own curry plant. But five minutes at the Union Square Market in NYC last month and I realized I haven't seen even a tiny fraction of all the herbs out there. One vendor sold no less than 25 different types of basil (basil!) so you can imagine that there were herbs on offer I'd never seen the likes of. 

You already know that my go-to way to use up herbs that are threatening to wilt in my fridge is to pile them all onto a pasta. It's surprising how an entire bunch of cilantro, chopped and added to warm pasta dressed in fried garlic, chilies and simply seasoned olive oil makes for one of the most satisfying dinners. And the news is also out that I can't have enough pesto in the summer and that I've discovered the joy of basically drinking herbs. Imagine the concoctions the people who live near Union Square come up with every week? And don't even get me started on the abundance of varieties of, well, everything else. See for yourself.

 

so much pesto

I've lost any pesto inhibitions, if I ever had any. Since a traditional pesto is basil leaves, pounded or pureed with a little garlic, pine nuts, some grated Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil, there's really not one element you can't swap out for something similar. I used every herb I could get my hands on to get very different pesto flavours, and in the case of the garlic scape pesto, the scapes served as both garlic and greens! I varied the nuts and cheeses in each pesto but you could even use different oils. Using a little hazelnut oil or a drop or two of sesame oil would change things pretty drastically, and herb-flavoured oils might be a nice way to add a certain je ne said quoi to a standard basil pesto.

Both the taste and the colour of pestos vary depending on what's in them, but a thin layer of oil on top of finished pestos (which freeze so well and thaw on the counter in just a couple of hours, by the way) helps keep oxygen away and your greens vibrant. They'll still dull and darken a little but it's nothing a good stir before serving can't fix. And speaking of serving, what can't you use pesto on, really? Pasta is obvious, crostinis are perfect for summer and no-cook nights, and they're great on grilled or roasted vegetables, polenta, in soups, stirred through couscous, eaten straight from the bowl...

herb soup w/ eggplant bacon...plus ABC kitchen (manhattan)

One day in late spring I was cooking so many things at once that my counter was covered in tough, outer baby artichoke leaves, leek tops and empty pea pods. I could have tossed them all out but I bagged them and shoved them in the freezer instead. Weeks later, I soaked the scraps in warm water to thaw them, rinsed them well, and along with some garlic they formed the flavor base of a fresh, cool spring soup in the heat of summer. After simmering for half an hour, I strained and discarded those dutiful misfits, lowered bundles of bright herbs in to add the top notes to my soup, then cooled it before serving.

While I was happy to use those scraps so well, the whole reason behind making this soup was to chop up what might seem like too many fresh herbs and serve them on top. I've been obsessed with the idea of sipping a soup and practically having to chew on fresh herbs since I had a similar experience at ABC Kitchen--their sweet pea soup had generous strands of mint floating on top of it. It wasn't overpowering at all, but it was such a memorable part of the soup.

Although the croutons in their soup were delicious, I think I chose an even better topping for mine, if I do say so myself. Remember that eggplant bacon I wrote about once? I skipped the fake stuff (liquid smoke) and instead brushed my eggplant with smoked paprika, oil and salt before roasting the slivers in the oven. I wasn't expecting them to come out looking anything like bacon, so I had to show you the picture below. How did the eggplant know what I wanted it to become?

Magic.

Everything at ABC Kitchen was wonderful--except for me. I had been dreaming of dining there for over a year, hearing nothing but rave reviews, tweets and "mmmm"'s and as I put on my dress to get ready...I almost threw up. Out of nowhere. Just not feeling so good. Le sigh... I did my best to literally grin and bear it but I only got through the first course. The soup was so good, it resonated despite my horrible state, but clearly I need a do-over as soon as possible. I can tell you that the pickled snacks they start you off with, the creative cocktails (I had only sips of them--that is how low I felt), the service and the stunning, rustic yet whimsical setting were without flaw. Get there if you can.

parsley pittu

I come from a family that likes food (understatement) and to cook, but they also love to recipe test. My aunt's at it again, pushing the ingredients in her recipe for pittu around like puddles of paint on a palette. Last time it was millet pittu, this time, parsley pittu. She loves to submit her tests to all of us for our evaluation, and she never brings pittu to us without the standard accompaniments: lunu miris and coconut milk to be heated and poured over and soak into the pillars.

It's no wonder I never want her to land on the perfect version. I try not to let that influence my feedback...

mint chutney

Chutneys, like mango chutney, are condiments served alongside curries, rice or rotis to compliment, balance or sometimes provide reprieve from heavy spices and flavours. Mint chutney is perhaps the strongest contrast to the food its paired with, because it's fresh and like many fresh herbs, its flavour can't be tempered. A little salt, heat and lime round out the flavour of this mint chutney that is still all about this refreshing, fragrant herb. It's perfect with Sri Lankan food, of course, and other South Asian curries. But it would also be really nice on sandwiches or as a pistou on soups or pasta too.

And like most pistous or pestos, it's often made by pounding fresh leaves in a mortar and pestle. But my mother and I did a side by side comparison of the traditional technique versus making the chutney in a food processor. And, to our surprise, the food processor yielded a better result. The flavour of the food processor version was so much fresher with the leaves sharply chopped by those blades instead of pounded and bruised. And the non-bruised leaves looked better too since they didn't take such a beating. You can see how much brighter the green is in the photo below on the right. So save your strength and have fresh mint chutney in about 2 minutes flat.