It's a Cauliflower of a different color!

Look at that color- what fun! You can find these beautiful varieties of cauliflower at specialty grocery stores or sometimes at your local farmer's market. Whenever I see them, I try to snatch them up. They're fun to eat and a nice change from the traditional white cauliflower (tell your kids that aliens eat it, and maybe they'll be more inclined to try it).

I used to think of cauliflower as a boring, bland vegetable, that could only be steamed and mixed with carrots and broccoli. Cafeteria food at best. But it doesn't have to be! I find roasting brings out its true flavor. It becomes buttery, brown, and melts in your mouth. One of my favorite ways to prepare it is with fennel and onions. It's a quick and delicious side dish that looks as good as it tastes. Of course, you can find cauliflower at the supermarket year round, but save it for when it peaks in the fall and winter months.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER:

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/2 inch slices

2 medium fennel bulbs, fronds removed, cut into 1/2 inch slices

4 cloves garlic, well smashed

4 tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine cauliflower, onion, fennel, and garlic in a medium sized bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss well, seeing that everything is coated in oil. Evenly spread the ingredients on a parchment or foil lined sheet pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until browned, but still crispy (toss ingredients halfway through cooking time to prevent sticking- you can add a little more oil if needed). Taste to adjust seasonings and serve warm.

Note:

• You can combine this recipe with pasta. Double the recipe (bake on 2 sheet pans) and toss with your cooked pasta, drizzle with olive oil, season with more salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve. It's great with crumbled sausage too!

Skull Garland

Here's another Halloween decorating idea for your home! This skull garland is easy to make and can be done for just a few dollars; I've been hanging it on our mantle for years.

I initially made this haunting trimming for our annual Day of the Dead dinner. In many parts of Mexico, on Dia de los Meurtos, families create altars to honor the dead. They adorn these altars with food and objects that belonged to their deceased loved ones when they were alive. They also display small clay statues that resemble them. I've taken inspiration from this holiday and created mini skulls in the same style. Though I made the garland for Day of the Dead, I like to hang it up for the whole month of October, since it works perfectly for Halloween as well.

Here's how to make them:

• What you'll need: two to three packages of white baking clay, black craft paint, copper wire, black, orange, and yellow beads, and a tooth pick.
• Mold your clay into a number of small skull shapes (making enough to fill your desired length of garland). You can look at pictures online for inspiration. These don't have to be perfect- each one will take on a slightly different shape.
• Using a toothpick, horizontally pierce the clay skull through the center part of the head.
• Bake clay according to label directions. Remove from oven and let cool.
• Paint a face on each of the skulls.
• String the copper wire with your multi-colored beads, alternating colors and creating a pattern of black, orange, and yellow. Do ten sets of this combination, string on a skull and repeat. Continue in this manner until all of your skulls are used and you've reached your desired length.

Ganache Covered Brownies

This past week, Aaron and I were having intense cravings for something chocolaty and delicious. We didn't feel like cake or cookies, but we did feel like homemade brownies! As if that weren't enough, I've also been wanting to make chocolate ganache (ganache is just a fancy word for melted chocolate and cream). Then I thought, why not put the two together? They turned out to be a match made in heaven! These brownies have a wonderfully deep chocolate flavor, which was just what we needed to cure our cravings.

The dilemma of making a dessert is not having enough mouths to eat it. Don't get me wrong, if left to my own devices, I'm sure I could polish off a cake or a mountain of cookies... in due time. But I find desserts to be the perfect excuse to get together with friends. With this in mind, I met up with said friends in Central Park, took a long walk (much to my dog Lady's delight) and had these scrumptious treats ready to welcome us home. Coffee, homemade brownies and good friends. It doesn't get much better than that.

This brownie recipe is the creation of Nick Malgieri, from his book, Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers. It was also featured in Saveur Magazine, Issue 113. I've changed it just slightly, and of course smothered it with ganache and toasted hazelnuts. You can use any brownie recipe you please (but this one's to die for), and simply add the ganache and nuts. It seems so many people have nut allergies that, to avoid a catastrophic allergic reaction, I don't bake the hazelnuts into the brownies. Instead, I sprinkle them on at the end. This allows me to leave a few nut free, so no one's left out, but you can certainly add the nuts to the batter if you please.

BROWNIES:

Adapted from a Nick Malgieri recipe

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 16 tablespoons (plus more for greasing)

8 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (I used a combination of both), finely chopped

1 tbsp. instant coffee powder

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

2 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. sea salt

1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with butter and line with parchment paper (allowing enough to hang over the sides to use later for ease in removing the brownies). Grease paper and set pan aside.

Pour enough water into a 4-quart saucepan that it reaches a depth of 1 inch. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Combine butter and chocolate in a medium bowl; set bowl over saucepan. Cook, stirring, until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the coffee powder. Set aside to cool slightly.

Whisk the eggs together in a large bowl. Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt; whisk to combine. Pour chocolate mixture into bowl through a fine mesh strainer and stir to incorporate. Fold in flour. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes (switching pan position halfway through cooking time, to ensure even baking). Let cool to room temperature on a rack. 

Yield: 12 large brownies

GANACHE FROSTING:

Ingredients:

12 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (I used a combination of both), finely chopped

12 fl. oz. (1 ½ cups) heavy whipping cream

¼ cup hazelnuts, lightly toasted and chopped

Place the chopped chocolate in a large stainless steel bowl. Pour the heavy cream in a small saucepan and bring just to a simmer, being careful not to boil. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute then whisk well to combine, making sure all the chocolate has melted. Allow the ganache to come to room temperature, about 2 hours, or cover and place in the refrigerator overnight (let return to room temperature once removed from fridge). 

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, toast the hazelnuts over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Watch them closely to see that they don't burn. Set aside to cool, then roughly chop.

Once the ganache has reached room temperature, transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, mix on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes to attain a light and fluffy texture. Evenly spread ganache over the room temperature brownies. Sprinkle with the toasted, chopped hazelnuts and place in the refrigerator to set for 10 minutes. Remove and cut into twelve 3 ¼" by 3" squares and serve. Store brownies in one layer in well-sealed plastic containers. 

Blossoming Beauties

Last summer, I came across the golden flowers of what I learned to be zucchini blossoms. After taking a few home to cook, I ran back the following week for more! Little did I know how difficult they'd be to find. I've seen them once or twice at Whole Foods, from Satur farms, but more often than not they can only be found every now and again at farmer's markets. Zucchini blossoms can usually be spotted in large glowing piles. They're constantly overlooked by hurried shoppers, I think mainly because most people don't know what to do with them. They're extremely delicate and are best cooked the day you buy them. Whenever I see them, I have no other choice but to purchase them, for you never know when you'll see them again. The blossoms are excellent sautéed, but I prefer to eat them battered and fried!

In my search for the perfect way to prepare these blossoming beauties, I came across Jamie Oliver's recipe for "fried ricotta stuffed zucchini blossoms." These puppies really blew me away. They're delicious! The next time you're lucky enough to spot zucchini blossoms, buy them without delay, race home, and cook them using this recipe. The great thing about them is that you can serve the blossoms as an appetizer or as a side dish, accompanied by an equally yummy garden salad. Either way, you won't be disappointed!

FRIED STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS:

Adapted from Jamie Oliver, Jamie at Home

Ingredients:

7 oz. good-quality ricotta cheese (not the supermarket kind; best bought from a specialty shop)

¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

Zest of 1 lemon, plus 2 whole lemons, cut into wedges for serving

6 large mint leaves, minced (you can substitute rosemary, Italian parsley, or chives- about a ½ tsp. each), reserving a little for garnish

1 to 2 fresh red chilies, seeded and minced, reserving a little for garnish

5 grinds of freshly ground black pepper (or more to taste)

½ tsp. sea salt (or more to taste)

1¼ cups self-rising flour

1½ cups white wine

8 zucchini blossoms 

Vegetable oil for frying

In a medium-sized bowl, using a whisk, firmly beat the ricotta, nutmeg, Parmesan, lemon zest, and most of the minced mint and chilies. Season well with salt and pepper.

To make the batter, whisk together the flour and wine in a medium-sized mixing bowl, along with a pinch of sea salt. This makes a nice thick batter. If it's too thick, add a little more wine. If it's too thin, add a bit more flour. 

Gently open the zucchini flowers, and using kitchen scissors, snip off the pointed stamen inside (it tastes bitter). Gently rinse the flowers in cold water and let air dry for a few minutes.

Next, spoon the ricotta mixture into the corner of a zip-top sandwich bag. Snip 1/2 inch off the corner of the bag and use this as a makeshift piping bag to gently squeeze the filling into each flower, until just full. Carefully press the flowers back together around the mixture to seal it in. Place the flowers aside. (Any leftover ricotta can be used as a spread for crackers).

Now, prep for frying. Pour enough vegetable oil into a large deep saucepan to about 4 inches deep. Using a candy/frying thermometer as a guide, heat the oil to 350 degrees (or put a slice of potato in the pot, and when it turns golden, sizzles and floats to the top, you know your oil's hot enough for frying). Have a plate lined with two sheets of paper towels near by, along with tongs or a spider for extracting the flowers from hot oil. 

One at a time, dip the stuffed zucchini blossoms into the batter, seeing that they're completely covered, gently letting the excess batter drip off. Carefully release them, away from you, into the hot oil. Fry until golden and crisp, about 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs or a spider, remove the flowers to the plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with sea salt. Fry the remaining blossoms in the same manner. Garnish with the remaining mint and chili pepper and serve immediately with lemon wedges.


Yield: 8 blossoms 

Halloween Banner

Halloween is right around the corner, so I’ve begun planning for an All Hallow's Eve party extraordinaire! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays (and thankfully Aaron's too!), and lends itself to a wide array of festive treats and spooky tidings. As a child, on October 1^st, I would beg my parents to put up the Halloween decorations on our front porch. I couldn’t wait to pull the tattered box of decor down from the attic and get to work! My mom used to place a scarecrow on the porch chair along with our carved pumpkins. However, as soon as I was old enough, I took it to a whole new level. Before long, there were coffins, witches, skeletons and more! (I’m still grateful to them for allowing me to fuel my creativity and go completely overboard). 

Now I'm living in a New York City apartment, and while I'm still tempted by the haunted enthusiasm of my childhood, I'll be scaling it back due to space limitations. But much like in my youth, I’ve decided to get a head start and create this “Happy Halloween” banner to hang above our fireplace. I like the idea of decorations that are fun, inexpensive, yet stand the test of time. I get annoyed by those paper banners that crumble or tear before they’re ever even hung up. The great thing about this banner is that it folds nicely and takes up very little space, not to mention cheap to make!  

Here’s what I did:

• Buy orange and yellow felt (about 10 cents a square), thin black ribbon, and self-adhesive black felt letters from your local craft store. 
• Cut each rectangular piece of felt into four smaller ones (you'll need 14 flags in all).
• Using pinking shears, cut the smaller rectangles into v-shaped flags. 
• Next, attach the felt letters to the flags, alternating flag colors. No glue necessary! 
• Pierce the top corners of the flags with a toothpick.
• Cut one long piece of ribbon the length of all your flags lined up. 
• Using the ribbon, tie the flags (through the holes) to the long ribbon, using simple bows. 

Now I have a custom made banner to ring in Halloween for many years to come!     

Presto Pesto!

For the last few years, I’ve been growing basil on our New York City version of a  “terrace” (aka large flower box), but this year it was attacked by some pesky birds! A few weeks ago, at the farmer’s market, I decided to grab a big beautiful bunch of basil in place of my own. Its season is almost up, so I figured this would be my last chance to make some honest to goodness fresh pesto. 

Every Italian family has its idea of what real pesto should be, so I’m not claiming this to be a definitive pesto recipe, just what I like. Since basil is the star ingredient, I want it to shine through and not be muddled by a million other flavors. Often times I’ll add my pesto to cream sauces or eggs, so I like to keep it smooth and creamy, without an excess of olive oil. You can always add more oil later if need be. Pesto is so flavorful, that practically anything you add it to will go from good to delizioso!

For as long as I can remember, my grandmother (Nonnie) has been the one to make pesto. My family use to receive it in old jam jars, with their labels long since peeled away, and we treated it like gold. I’ve taken mostly the same ingredients from her version, but I’ve played with the proportions and added pine nuts to thicken it. Nonnie uses a couple of sprigs of Italian parsley in her pesto, and I’ve kept that the same. You won’t know it’s in there, but I think it contributes to the pesto’s depth of flavor and provides an added zing.

HOMEMADE PESTO

Ingredients:

3 large cloves garlic

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano

¼ cup Pignolias (Pine nuts)

2½ cups basil leaves, tightly packed

1 to 2 sprigs Italian parsley (leaves only)

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

¾ to 1 tsp. sea salt

¼ to ½ tsp. pepper

Add the garlic, parmesan, and pine nuts to a blender or food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Add the basil leaves, parsley leaves, olive oil, salt and pepper, and purée until you’ve reached a smooth and creamy consistency. Taste to adjust seasonings, if need be, and refrigerate until ready to use. For long term storage, transfer pesto to ice cube trays. Freeze overnight and transfer to zip-top bags (this allows for smaller serving sizes, so you're not stuck with a solid block of pesto). It defrosts quickly, so you can throw it on pasta with a little olive oil and have a family dinner in minutes! 

I like my pesto on the saltier side, so feel free to reduce the amount of salt, also taking into consideration how salty your parmesan is.


Yield: about 10 oz. or 1¼ cups

Notes: 

• If you’re doubling or tripling this recipe, do it in batches, or as much as your blender or food processor will allow.
• Do your palate a huge favor and buy real Parmesan Reggiano. This can make or break the quality of your pesto, and believe me, it’s worth it!
• In a pinch, you can always substitute walnuts for pine nuts. Also, to ensure freshness, store your pine nuts in the freezer.

Canning Salsa

In August, I was a busy bee rushing to get all of summer’s bounty preserved and stored away for the winter months (I sound like a squirrel). I would stop by farmer’s markets after work for weeks, picking up armfuls of summer’s seasonal produce to can. Since I’m tired of buying mediocre salsa at the grocery store (when I can't make my own mid-winter), I thought I’d take advantage of the perfectly ripe tomatoes and preserve it myself. I’ve found a number of useful recipes and gotten some inspiring ideas from The Complete Book of Small Batch Preserving, by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard, and this salsa recipe is certainly one of them. The wonderful thing about small batch preserving in general, is that it allows you to create a larger variety of canned goods, but in smaller quantities.

What I like about this recipe is that it uses all the same ingredients I would use to make fresh salsa, but includes juice and vinegar to aid in the preserving process. Canned salsas will always taste different than fresh ones since they’re cooked, but I guarantee it will be better than any store bought jar you can find. Also, buying the best quality ingredients always goes a long way for flavor. In August, I was able to find nearly all my produce for this salsa at the farmer’s market, and it can’t get much better than that.

This recipe is so easy, simply chop your ingredients, add them all to the same pot, simmer for 30 minutes, and process. You’ll certainly be glad you did come mid-winter!

TOMATO SALSA

Adapted from The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving, by Ellie Topp & Margaret Howard

Ingredients:

4 cups tomatoes, chopped and peeled (about 2 lb.)

1 cup red onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup sweet red pepper

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

1/2 cup red wine vinegar (5% acidity- see notes below)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tbsp. fresh orange juice

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. pickling salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup tomato paste

Start by bringing a medium sized pot of water to a boil. Cut a shallow "x" on the bottom (opposite stem side) of each tomato. Place tomatoes in boiling water for 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer to an ice bath and let rest until cool enough to touch. Peel off skins. Discard skins and chop tomatoes.

Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, peppers, vinegar, cilantro, orange and lime juice, sugar and salt in a large stainless steel or enamel pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and boil gently , uncovered, for 30 minutes or until mixture is thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more.

Remove hot jars from your water-bath canner and ladle salsa into jars, allowing a 1/2 inch of   headspace. Process 20 minutes for half-pint (250 mL) and pint (500 mL) jars. 


For my step-by-step guide to canning see here.

Makes about 4 1/2 cups.

Notes:

• When using vinegar in canning recipes, always use one that says 5% acidity on the label, as this ensures safe canning practices. Most generic grocery store vinegars are 5%, so save your fancy vinegars (which often do not indicate acidity) for another use. 
• When canning with tomatoes, stick to the regular red heirloom, beefsteak, or plum varieties. Some types, such as yellow tomatoes, are low in acid, so don’t use those since you need tomatoes with higher acidity (or regular acidity) to aid in preservation. 
• If you prefer a hotter salsa, use 3 to 4 jalapenos. Be sure to taste them first before adding to your salsa, as they vary in heat. 
• If you have a little extra salsa after filling all your jars, put it in a clean jar, let cool to room temperature, and place in the refrigerator.  Consume within a couple weeks.