Bay Area Love

I just returned from a long weekend in the Bay Area, visiting my talented, warm, dear friends Amy and Lisa.  They love food and wine as much (if not more!) than I do, so I ate and drank ridiculously well.  Here is my Weekend in Instagram:

Arles mussels (shallots, butter, parsley, garlic, white wine), frites with lemon-saffron aioli, and a pint of Leffe at Frjtes.

Flight of "spring whites" at Toast (yes, that's a sippy cup in the background...).

The bar at Toast - can I keep this sign?

Tres leches cake from Tartine Bakery.  I have a nonexistent sweet tooth and I still polished my plate.  DELICIOUS.

Bug with her cone of meat from Boccalone Salumeria in the Ferry Building (she chose mortadella, soppressata, and pancetta).  I also couldn't resist buying their orange-and-fennel salami...as well as their brown-sugar-and-fennel salami!

 Outstanding last supper at Chez Amy and Lisa.

What an incredible weekend.

Eat, drink, and rejuvenate.

Linguine with Creamy Red Cabbage and Corn

I can hardly complain about this winter so far; other than a freezing cold that has gripped the Northeast, New York has had little snow or rain to mention.  Nevertheless, I feel like I would give damn-near anything for a peach straight from the farm right now.  Don't we all feel that way this time of year?

So, as you can imagine, I struggle with my menu in February.  No more potatoes!  No more soups!  No more root vegetables at all!  Even...dare I say it?...no more Brussels sprouts!!!!  But how do I freshen up my dishes without buying, say, asparagus that's completely out of season?

When I saw a recipe for Egg Noodles with Creamy Red Cabbage and Sweet Corn in my Edible Brooklyn: The Cookbook (from the Edible Brooklyn magazine folks), I thought it would be perfect.  And what an interesting combination with pasta, right?  Actually, this whole cookbook is amazing; it's quickly becoming one of my go-to books.  Anyway, it's obviously not corn season in New York right now but I have no problem substituting with frozen corn in the winter months - frozen in the off-season is much better than fresh in the off-season, to my mind.

This recipe is, in a word, fantastic.  It mixes the sweet with the salty, and the red wine vinegar rounds it all out with a tart acidity.  The pasta gives the dish a heartiness you want in winter, but the corn is such a welcome change from the usual cold-weather fare.  To quote Adam, "this recipe's a keeper."

LINGUINE WITH CREAMY RED CABBAGE AND CORN

Adapted only slightly from Edible Brooklyn: The Cookbook, edited by Rachel Wharton

Serves 4-6

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 medium head red cabbage, cored and sliced into 1/2-inch strips
1 tbsp salt
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 lb fresh linguine
1 cup crème fraîche (or sour cream)
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic, and cook for a few minutes until the onion is softened but the garlic is not yet golden.

2. Add the cabbage and salt, and cook for 3-4 minutes; do not let the vegetables brown.  Add the vinegar and sugar, cover the pot, reduce to a gentle simmer, and cook for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Taste the cabbage - it should be tender but not mushy.  Adjust the salt, vinegar, and sugar to taste if needed, and set the cabbage aside.

3. In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the corn over high heat until it begins to caramelize.  Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Cook the pasta according to package directions (about 3 minutes for fresh pasta), reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, and drain.  In a large bowl, combine the pasta, corn, red cabbage, and crème fraîche.  Thin sauce with pasta water, if needed.  Let sit for 3-5 mintues to allow the pasta to soak up the sauce.  Serve in warmed bowls.  Top with pepper to taste.

KID-FRIENDLINESS NOTE: This dish is fairly adaptable for kids.  I reserved some corn and pasta in a bowl, tossed them with some crème fraîche, and Bug was perfectly happy to eat it.  She probably would have gone for the cabbage as well but, with the onions in there, she would have been scared off so I left those out of her bowl.

NOTE: The cookbook was given to me by the publisher.

This will absolutely be a recurring dish in our house.  In addition, to the unique mix of flavors, the colors are simple gorgeous - a sure way to cheer you up on a dreary winter evening.

Orange Peel Wine

With the exception of the occasional mulled wine, I have not been a fan of altering wine in any way to make some sort of wine cocktail.  I'm not even a huge fan of Kir Royale - Champagne (or Prosecco) is so lovely on its own and why mess with a good thing?

But lately...well...I've been altering wine like crazy.  I have several cookbooks that have recipes for wine-based drinks, and I've been finding myself intrigued.  For instance, one recipe was for a winter-inspired rosé recipe - you add lemon and sage to it (spoiler alert: it did not taste great).  Likewise, I have several different mulled wine recipes.

There is one recipe that stood out, though: Orange Peel Wine.  Which, not surprisingly, is from one of my favorite cookbooks, French Food at Home by Laura Calder.  The coriander gives the wine a bit of bite and the sugar gives it a roundness that you really want out of a white wine in winter.  Calder recommends a Muscadet, and I concur - I use a rather inexpensive bottle that I get from Fresh Direct.  The major thing to remember is that you need to make sure there is no white on the orange peel; believe me, it'll make the wine super bitter and yucky.  Other than that, this is a cinch to make.  Drink it as an apéritif or digestif.

ORANGE PEEL WINE
from French Food at Home by Laura Calder

One 750-ml bottle dry white wine
1 medium orange
1/3 cup/65g sugar
8 coriander seeds

Open the wine.  Pour out about half a cup so that the bottle doesn't overflow when you add the other ingredients; of course, enjoy the wine while you finish the recipe.

Shave the zest from the orange with a vegetable peeler.  Remove every trace of the bitter white pith from the back with a sharp knife.  Poke the orange zest into the bottle of wine (if you have any trouble, I found that using the handle of a wooden spoon will get the zest into the bottle).  Funnel in the sugar.  Drop in the coriander seeds.  Recork the bottle Turn it upside down and right side up a few times until the sugar has dissolved.  Refrigerate 1 week, giving the wine a shake once a day.

Strain into a carafe and serve well chilled.


I have three bottles marinating in my fridge right now.  What will I do with all that wine?  Well, I bought carafe type bottles at Fishs Eddy the other day, and I plan on giving out small carafes of this to some friends this holiday season.  More on that soon!

This was a good lesson for me.  Rather than sniffing my nose haughtily about how I don't drink "wine cocktails," I needed to expand my mind a bit and embrace the possibility that wine and coriander, together, might just be delicious.

Eat, drink, and stay open-minded.


Other recipes I've posted from Laura Calder's French Food at Home:
Pear Pork
Bacon and Hazelnut Leeks

New Toy(s)

I'm having way too much fun with this.  Thanks to Garance Doré, I've now discovered the wonderful world of my iPad, a stylus, and the Noteshelf app.  More fun to come (and bear with me as I experiment)...

Thanks to Fishs Eddy for the awesome picture and the endless delights in their shop!

Where Am I?

So where am I when I'm not here?  Well, obviously, I'm in the kitchen...reading...working...etc.  I meant, where am I online when I'm not here?  I wanted to remind you all that I'm elsewhere on the interwebs and I'd love to see you there!

Twitter: @foodandbooks (I just surpassed 1,000 followers!)

My Facebook fan page!

Pinterest (a.k.a. one of my biggest time-sucks)

Instagram (Username: lauralutz.  By the way, did you hear that Instagram has now surpassed Twitter in number of daily mobile users?)

And see that box at the top of the right-hand column?  You can subscribe to Pinot and Prose!

Eat, drink, and connect!

Recipe: Farmhouse Cheese Spread

We love football in our house.  American football, that is.  Every year we plan activities around it: Opening Day, Draft Night (we're fantasy football fiends), and then every Sunday thereafter.  Adam loves the Pittsburgh Steelers but, generally, we just watch any match that we think will be entertaining.

One of the best parts about football is the food.  Of course.  I've documented football food extensively here in the past (here, here, here...and here too!).  I love that it's almost always a snack-type food and something you can eat with your fingers; likewise, I love that it's always something crunchy and salty.  I do try to keep it a little light so we can snack all day without feeling full or bloated.  And it needs to be easy - you don't want to spend all your time in the kitchen and away from the action on TV.

This year, I made my annual Roasted Red Pepper and Cannellini Bean Dip; it's become a tradition (see the links above for proof!).  It's so light - for the most part, it's just roasted peppers food-processed with cannellini beans.  Accompanied by pita chips and veggies, it's the perfect Game Day snack.  This year, I was still in a hazy lovefest with my cookbook du jour, Farmhouse Kitchen Favorites by Paula S. Croteau (I posted the recipe for Stuffed Croissant French Toast) so I made the Farmhouse Cheese Spread.  I mean, football snacks can't all be healthy, right???

This spread packs some serious punch, flavor-wise.  The cheese is rich and creamy, the tomatoes are sweet, the pine nuts are crunchy - this dish really does have it all.  Paired with baguette slices, it was a welcome addition to my Game Day repertoire.

FARMHOUSE CHEESE SPREAD
Inspired by Farmhouse Kitchen Favorites by Paula S. Croteau
Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
1 - 8 oz. container cream cheese
1/4 c. Roquefort or blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 c. red onion or scallion, finely chopped
1 tsp herbes de Provence
1 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted
sprig of rosemary, to garnish

1. In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients, except nuts, until combined.
2. Transfer into a ramekin or form a ball with dampened hands.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until solid.
4. Top ramekin or roll cheese ball in pine nuts until ready to serve.
5. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.
6. Bring to room temperature, serve with a baguette.

NOTE: Croteau added 1 tablespoon of capers to the spread, but capers are one of the few foods I just can't stand so I omitted them. You can feel free to add them back in, of course.

Sports are great, right?  I can't speak for other countries, but don't you love how American sports and specific foods go hand-in-hand?  Hot dogs, Cracker Jacks, nachos, beer...it's all part of the glorious tradition.  And while I didn't serve any of those this year (well, except for the beer), the idea is still the same: I look forward to football every year not because I love the sport so much but because I love the food.

Eat, drink, and cheer on your favorite team.


NOTE: As I've mentioned before, my fantasy football team names often have to do with something food- and wine-related.  Two years ago, it was "Vino Vixens"...last year, it was "Pinot She Daaan't" (some people in my league didn't quite get that one - do you guys?)...and this year, it's "ChamPAIN on You!"  I know, I'm a dork.

Smorgasburg

Smorgasburg in DUMBO is my new favorite NYC experience.

I knew of its existence but it never rose to the top of my consciousness until this last Saturday when Cup of Jo reminded me of it.

Smorgasburg takes place in the old roof-less tobacco factory along the East River in DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), which boasts one of the coolest views of any market, to my mind:

Brooklyn Bridge seen through the factory

Manhattan Bridge in the distance

So our Sunday was spent in the best way possible: eating and drinking.  It started with grilled cheese sandwiches from Milk Truck, a lobster roll from Red Hook Lobster Pound (which pairs insanely well with Maine Root Soda), and an arepa con queso:

Then we moved on to Smoked Brisket sandwiches (I can't find the vendor name...crap):

Then it was mini homemade Pop Tarts (with plum jam in the middle!) from Anarchy in a Jar and gourmet S'mores from S'More Bakery:

We refreshed ourselves with Grady's Cold Brew coffee (I bought this bottle so I could continue to enjoy it all week) and cherry shaved ice from People's Pops:

Stuffed and drowsy - because, yes, we did eat all this between just the three of us - we went home to Manhattan via one of NYC's transportation gems - the East River Ferry:

An outstanding day: one of our best in the seven years we've lived in New York.

Eat, drink, and wear loose pants.

Recipe: Stuffed Croissant French Toast

Our friends Tina and Vic recently moved to Long Island City (Queens)...which we're thrilled about on multiple levels, not the least of which is that our travel time to visit them has been cut by half!  They invited us over to check out the new place, and we had a phenomenal time that included a spirited bocce tournament and outstanding street-style tacos:

And check out the view from their place:

Long Island City is looking tempting!

And because I can be a nosy person, I always check out the cookbooks my friends have on their shelves.  Before I could comment, though, Tina took FARMHOUSE KITCHEN FAVORITES* by Paula S. Croteau off the shelves and told me I had to borrow it from them.  I happily agreed.

Tina and Vic actually discovered the cookbook through Croteaux Vineyards, which is a Long Island winery that is a particular favorite of theirs.  Paula S. Croteau, of Croteaux Vineyards, also has her own school, Farmhouse Kitchen Cooking School; though, according to the website, classes are on hold for 2012.  As you can imagine, I am keen to get out to Long Island to visit the winery - it looks like it's a beautiful, welcoming space for tasting!

I've tried four recipes from the cookbook so far, and they have each been outstanding.  "Keepers," as Adam and I call recipes that have wowed us.  The first I want to share with you is Stuffed Croissant French Toast with Maple Blueberry Compote.  If you read the recipe and think it sounds too rich...well...you're probably right...

STUFFED CROISSANT FRENCH TOAST
Adapted from Paula S. Croteau's Farmhouse Kitchen Favorites
Makes 6 croissants

1 cup half & half
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 8-oz package mascarpone, softened (okay to substitute cream cheese)
6 croissants
1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon canola oil, melted to coat griddle (I substituted olive oil, which was fine)

1. In a shallow dish or bowl, whisk the eggs, half & half, sugar, vanilla, and salt together.
2. Cut croissants almost completely in half.
3. Spread each croissant with 1 tablespoon of mascarpone cheese.
4. Gently soak and turn croissants in egg mixture until saturated.
5. Heat griddle or nonstick pan over medium-high heat.
6. Place the croissants on the griddle and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
7. Gently flip and cook the second side until golden.
8. Serve immediately or cover with foil and keep warm in a 200-degree oven.
9. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or top with maple blueberry compote (actually...I did both).

MAPLE BLUEBERRY COMPOTE

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped

1. Place the berries, syrup, cinnamon, and pecans into a small metal skillet.
2. Simmer the mixture on medium-high heat until the berries soften, about 4-5 minutes.
3. Serve with French toast or pancakes.

NOTE ON KID-FRIENDLINESS: Croteau recommends mixing fruit jam in with the cheese stuffing.  But Bug doesn't like jam, and I decided I could do without it.  And I think it worked - jam would have just been that much richer and - believe me - this thing is rich enough on its own.  Also, Bug didn't want the compote - so she just went with powdered sugar.

The result?  Awesomeness.

Eat, drink, and add richness to your life.

* Buy FARMHOUSE KITCHEN FAVORITES at Croteaux Vineyards online store.