Jerked Pork Chops and Smoked Potatoes

J has been after me to make smoked potatoes, which we discovered recently at a restaurant that I can't remember. Last night I made them, using the tried and true recipe that I got from Laura Calder and eight minutes in my Cameron stove-top smoker.

The potatoes spurred me to fill out the menu with Caribbean Jerk Pork Chops, rubbed with a jerk paste and, again, smoked in my stove-top stuffer. The sauce is from Big Bob Gibson, the procedure is the product of experimentation by yours truly.

It's easy to dry out pork chops, especially when smoking them, so it's important to find moist ones with some fat. The other approach - brining them - helps but does not produce the rich flavor that rendering fat produces. I made the trek to the Essex Market to find chops at Heritage Meat Shop (the retail space of Heritage Farms), and was rewarded with these gorgeous Tamworth chops.

Tamworth pork chops from Heritage Meat Market

Now it was just a matter of rubbing them with the jerk sauce, smoking them and finishing first in the oven and then under a broiler. Here's the result, with the potatoes and some sauteed zucchini; not a great picture, I'm afraid, but the tastes were there. The accompanying jerk-spiced barbecue sauce tied the plate together a bit and brought the chops to life.

Smoked potatoes, Tamworth pork chop and grated zucchini

The recipes for the pork chops and the smoke potatoes follow:

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Caribbean Jerk Pork Chops

(Big Bob Gibson)

Ingredients

·       1 habañero chile, seeded and chopped

·       1 small onion, coarsely chopped

·       1 scallion, thinly sliced

·       1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

·       1 teaspoon ground allspice

·       3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

·       1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

·       1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

·       1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

·       Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

·       1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for brushing

·       1 cup store-bought Kansas City–style barbecue sauce

·       4 pork rib chops (12 ounces each)

·       2 ½ TBS hickory, pecan or oak chips

Directions

1.     In a mini food processor, combine the habañero, onion, scallion, garlic, allspice, thyme, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Process until finely chopped. Add the 1 tablespoon of oil and process to a smooth paste.

2.     In a small bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon of the paste with the barbecue sauce. Spread the remaining paste all over the chops and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3.     Put wood chips into Cameron smoker. Cover and let the chips begin to smoke, about 5 minutes.

4.     Cook the chops in smoker over moderately high heat for 30 minutes.  Check temperature with a meat thermometer close to the bone. If necessary, put into 400 oven and roast for a few minutes, until they are lightly charred the temperature is about 140°. Transfer the chops to a platter and let rest a few minutes.  Then broil on one side until they get a nice color, about 3 minutes, and serve with the spiced barbecue sauce on the side.

NOTE 1: This is a very hot sauce.  Best to put less jerk mix into the BBQ sauce.

NOTE 2: Big Bob uses the jerk rub for slow-cooked pork.

Smoked Squished Baby Potatoes

(Laura Calder, Bobby Jay)

Ingredients

·       2 lbs baby Yukon Gold potatoes

·       Kosher salt and pepper

·       olive oil

·       2 TBS hickory, pecan or oak chips

Directions

1.     Scrub the potatoes and place them in salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, but not totally soft.

2.     Flatten the potatoes a little with a mallet, a ramekin or your hand.

3.     Put wood chips into Cameron smoker. Cover and let the chips begin to smoke, about 5 minutes.

4.     Cook the potatoes in smoker over moderately high heat for 7-8 minutes.

5.     Put the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake in 400° oven for about 35 minutes, until they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Enjoy!

Bobby Jay

An Evening with Jacques Pépin

The other night I was able to see my idol, Jacques Pépin, in action, at a demonstration at the International Culinary Center (formerly the French Culinary Institute), with which he is affiliated. I went with my friend Piglet, who didn't share my love for Jacques until she met and watched him: now she is a convert.

Bobby Jay and Jacques Pépin

I have seen most of Jacques' television series and have been using his books since 1979 and have always come away impressed with his extraordinary skill and his ability to convey it to viewers and readers. Also, with his incredible charm, good looks and joie de vivre.

All of this was on display at the demonstration. The ease with which he boned and stuffed a chicken, cured salmon for 15-minute gravlax, made omelets and did a variety of things with garlic, herbs and fruits, among other things, was pretty dazzling. 

Jacques boning a chicken

Jacques scrambling eggs

Jacques has been cooking professionally for more than 60  years, and French techniques are part of his DNA. While he has moved well beyond classic French cooking, his classical training continues to serve him well, and watching him is an inspiration to work on basic skills. The best way to start is with the DVD of techniques that is included at the back of his recent Essential Pépin. Also to look at the outstanding step-by-step pictures in his New Complete Techniques, a recently published one-volume version of his iconic La Technique and La Méthode with many sumptuous new photos.

Chapeau, Jacques Pépin!

Bobby Jay

Celebrating the New Year

I have an abiding interest in French cooking, and a growing fascination with Middle Eastern culinary traditions. I am planning a Seder next spring that will consist of dishes from some or all of Morocco, Syria, Iran, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Israel and Italy, and am in the process of searching out and testing recipes for that event.

So for the Jewish New Year, I made a dinner combining these traditions and asked our invitees -- dear friends all -- to be my test panel.

Here's what I made:

For hors d'oeuvres, Mustard Batons and Salmon Rillettes on toasted baguette slices, both from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table. The batons, puff pastry with Dijon mustard filling, have already become one of my standby recipes: I keep some frozen ones for spur-of-the-moment situations. (I am working my way through Dorie's book and will report in more detail when I am finished.)

Dorie Greenspan's Mustard Batons

Dorie Greenspan's Salmon Rillettes on Toast

The appetizer was Watercress and Chickpea Soup with Rose Water and Ras el Hanout, from Jerusalem, by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. The soup was very green, its slight bitterness tempered by the rose water. But the carrots and chickpeas, roasted in ras el hanout and other spices and added at the end, elevated this soup to an exotic Middle Eastern dish. Another possibility for Passover. (I used Clotilde Dusoulier's simple but rich vegetable broth from her new vegetarian The French Market Cookbook.)

Ottolenghi's Watercress and Spinach Soup

Moving to Syria, the main course, from Jennifer Abadi's fine A Fistful of Lentils, was Dja'jeh Zetoon b'Limoneh (Chicken with Lemon and Olives), a simple dish that nevertheless packs a satisfying Middle Eastern taste profile due to the combination of curly parsley (really!), dried oregano, cumin and of course lots of lemon and olives. A good candidate for my Seder.

As a side, I made Burghol m'Jedrah (Bulgur Wheat with Lentils), from the same book. I totally screwed this up (burned the garlic, added bulgur before the lentils), but it came out okay nonetheless. The simple earthiness of the dish made it very satisfying, and a good vehicle for the sauce from the chicken.

Apples and honey are traditionally served at the Jewish New Year, so I made an Apple and Walnut Cream Tart, which I finished with a little honey and crème fraîche. The recipe was one I found at Bon Appétit's website.

A good time was had by all, and I made some progress toward my Sephardic Seder to come.

L'Shana Tova!

Bobby Jay

A Month of Intense Cooking II

Yesterday's post listed the better main courses I have made in the last month. As I said there, July and August are for fruit and ice cream, so virtually not cakes and tarts until last night.

Here are some of the best appetizers and side dishes of the past month:

• “squished” boiled and roasted potatoes - baby Yukon golds boiled in salted water until almost done, then slightly smashed with your hand or a mallet, put on a roasting pan with a little olive oil and pepper and roasted at 400 for 45 minutes
• heirloom tomato salad - copious quantities of tomatoes cut up, salted and left to drain for 45 minutes, then mixed with dried oregano, red wine vinegar and oil, topped with chunks of torn mozzarella (preferably di bufalo) and basil
• melon gazpacho - chunks of ripe musk (or other orange) melon blended with coconut milk, lime juice, chile powder, cinnamon, agave syrup, diced cucumber and mint
• 2-hour polenta (made with coarse stone ground corn meal) with pecorino and butter added at the end - the slow cooking breaks down the meal for a wonderful taste and texture
• “rillettes” of fresh and smoked salmon, served on toasted baguette slices
• tarragon French style (no mayo) potato salad - first wine, then a mustard tarragon vinaigrette poured over the still-hot boiled potatoes (baby Yukon Golds cut into halves or quarters)
• Bobby Jay’s no-cream corn soup with pistachio oil and crushed roasted pumpkin seeds

I make a salad nearly every night, usually a simple vinaigrette with tarragon, chives, dill, thyme or a combination, parmesan cheese, scallions and cherry or grape tomatoes if they're particularly good. My favorite salad of the past month:

• Mustard greens with anchovy mustard vinaigrette, scallions, tarragon, parmesan and cherry tomatoes. The bitter greens (you can substitute dandelion or other bitter greens) need a bold vinaigrette with strong flavors as counterpoint: don't skimp on the anchovies or mustard, which are what make this work.

Recipes on request.

Bobby Jay

A Month of Intense Cooking

J broke her foot while we were in Perigord and has been quite immobile for more than a month. As a result, I have been preparing nearly all of our meals, every day, with rare outings and only occasional takeout. Quite different from our normal lifestyle, where we eat out two to four times a week and never eat lunch at home during the week.

So what to cook to keep life interesting and to avoid the feeling (no matter how true) of being shut in?

Well, it's summer, so we have been eating lots of tomatoes, corn and stone fruit and berries. And lots of homemade ice cream, including ginger, matcha, kinako (Japanese toasted soy flour powder), kuro gomma (Japanese black sesame seeds) and honey-rosemary, as well as homemade yogurt, to accompany the fruit. Few tarts and cakes in order to avoid using the oven in the heat (but see below).

For main courses, an eclectic mix of seafood, poultry, meat, pasta and vegetables, as we are omnivores. Among the best dishes were some old favorites and some new discoveries (recipes available on request, subject on rare occasion to copyright issues):

• Roast Sicilian grilled pork loin
• Broiled miso glazed black cod
• Grilled (well, broiled) chicken with curried whole wheat couscous
• Peel and eat shrimp with barbecue sauce
• Skillet grilled thick barbecue pork chops
• Baltimore style crab cakes Pan roasted lamb chops with za'atar
• Pork tenderloin with balsamic peaches
• Veal scallopini with capers and lemon
• Iraqi yellow rubbed chicken thighs
• Ostrich burgers
• Spanish style shrimp with toasted pasta
• Grilled fresh Tuscan tuna salad
• Egg noodles with pressure cooked veal breast sugo
• Thai ginger rubbed grilled salmon (with unbelievable salmon caught by our neigbor)
• Moules marinière
• Spaghettini with tomato conserva, pancetta and pecorino
• Puy lentil salad
• Lamb burger with crumbled feta and crispy fried shallots
• Ostrich steaks with chimichurri sauce
• Veal involtini with prosciutto and parmesan
• Indian style cubes of boneless chicken breasts
• Chinese chicken salad 

People often ask me what kind of food I cook and the above demonstrates why I can't answer.

I will deal with best appetizers and sides in a later post. I can't close this post without a picture, though, even if it is dessert, borrowed from yesterday's New York Times: fig cake.

Fig Cake from recipe by David Tanis (New York Times)

Bobby Jay

Sour Cherries plus Ginger x 5

J and I both love sour cherries, which are having their short season in New York right now.

Last week I made a sour cherry clafoutis, violating protocol since the French generally use sweet cherries for this. Nevertheless, it was pretty wonderful, with that little bite that sour cherries provide.

And who doesn't like ginger? And why not pair it with sour cherries? Tonight I decided to max out on ginger with sour cherries and made a sundae consisting of (i) ginger ice cream, sour cherries cooked with (ii) ginger syrup and (iii) sliced fresh ginger, (iv) minced organic hot candied ginger, and (v) crushed ginger snaps. Ginger heaven!

Quantities are totally up to you. This would work with blueberries, peaches, roasted pineapples and many other fruits: let your imagination run wild.

Bobby Jay

Perigord

After our wonderful stay in Provence, we went to stay with friends at their magnificent home in the heart of Périgord, a couple of kilometers from the spectacular Cingle de Trémolat (an oxbow).

Our friends' magnificent home in Périgord

Although the distance between St-Rémy de Provence and Périgord is not huge as the crow flies, it is very far as the car drives. Not being eager to spend a lot of time on charming winding roads, we opted for a simpler route, stopping first in Arles and then spending the night in Albi on route. Both are great places to go. Arles was having a black-and-white photography festival featuring works of sixty contemporary artists, including some of the best in the world. Albi has one of the best cathedrals in the world, an amazing Toulouse-Lautrec museum (he was from there) and a delightful and beautifully kept old city.

Arriving at our friends' home, it was into the pool to cool down, then drinks and dinner on their terrace. The next night we went to the justly renowned Vieux Logis, in Trémolat. This is a Relais and Château hotel with a Michelin starred restaurant (it has one star but based on our experience deserves two). We had the 5-course seasonal menu dégustation, a real buy at 80 euros (60 if you make the mistake of omitting the fish course), 100 (or 80) if you include a matching tasting of local Bergerac wines. Beautifully crafted and interesting food -- far from the heavy, foie-gras focused fare that is typically associated with this region -- as the following pictures attest.

 

Pigeon at Vieux Logis: roasted breast and confited leg

Périgord is a beautiful region with lots to do, chateaux, prehistoric caves, etc., although we just relaxed, having seen the sights on earlier trips. I highly recommend visiting the area and staying at the Vieux Logis.

Bobby Jay

A Perfect Day in Provence

Last week J and I traveled to Provence with friends of 35 years and then visited other good friends at their magnificent home in Périgord. Both are worth a post, to say the least.

My father used to describe someone in ecstasy as "happy as a pig in s__t." And then there's a nice book about two Americans who become chèvre makers in the area called A Pig in Provence. That was me: happy as a pig in Provence.

We started our perfect day with breakfast at our beautiful, tranquil hotel, Château les Alpilles, in St-Rémy de Provence.

Château les Alpilles in St-Rémy de Provence

Next, we finally took advantage of a long-standing invitation to visit our South African friend S at her beautiful home in Rustrel, near Apt in the Luberon. There we partook of a leisurely lunch that took full advantage of the seasonal bounty, prepared by S and some other lucky friends who were with us. After lunch, we went to nearby Céreste, where my friend Elizabeth Bard, author of Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes, has opened a gourmet ice cream parlor (Scaramouche) with her husband. Elizabeth graciously spent a few minutes with us, plying us with delicious samples, even though her son was celebrating his fourth birthday. Among the intriguing flavors: "1001 Nuts," made with Moroccan spices (ras-al-hanout), Henri Bardouin Pastis Sorbet,  and Fresh Lemon Verbena Sorbet.

Scaramouche ice cream parlor in Céreste

We returned by way of Apt, where I had to stop to buy preserved apricots and clementines, a local specialty that has been made the same way for 800 years, from one of the places that has been doing it for at least decades.

Traditional confiseur in Apt

Finally, we went to the famed Oustau de Beaumanière, a spectacular hotel/restaurant in the even more spectacular Les Baux de Provence. While we felt that the food quality fell a little short of its two Michelin star rating, it was very very good, prepared with attention to detail and for the most part spectacularly beautiful. It just doesn't get better than sitting on the Oustau's beautiful terrace on a perfect summer night, with great friends, excellent food and fine, experienced service.

Oustau de Baumanière's baguette - Salvador Dalí's mustache?

Oustau de Baumanière's foie gras

Oustau de Baumanière's gorgeous rouget

Oustau de Baumanière's signature millefeuille

That's it: a perfect day in Provence.

Bobby Jay

Paris - Agapé - Well-Deserved Michelin Star

We went with friends to Agapé and found it to be worthy of its Michelin star and plate from Pudlo. The food at this 17ème arrondissement establishment is sophisticated, the service is gracious and competent and the ambiance and couvert add support to the excellent overall experience.

The 90-euro menu was really splendid. It is a surprise, selected that day by the chef based on what's good at the market, but graciously eliminating any foods that you are allergic to or just don't like. We all found it to be a very well constructed meal, with appropriately sized portions and just the right trajectory. The amuse-bouche was a perfect velouté of vitelotte potatoes. Then followed another soup, asparagus this time; crispy sautéed eel with shredded cabbage, roasted turbot with a pea sauce; home-smoked veal loin from the renowned Desnoyers butcher over braised lettuce and risotto; a cheese plate featuring four-year-old comté - who knew comté could be so great? - and reblochon; and an elaborate mini chocolate tart. Everything was memorable (except, for me, the turbot, but I just don't like this fish). Even the bread was superb.

Agapé's vitelotte soup amuse-bouche

Agapé'a tubot with pea sauce

Agapé's smoked veal loin on braised lettuce over risotto

This is not a place to go every day. With wine, Agapé will set you back about 150 euros per person, but it is well worth the price for a special treat. Agapé, 51 rue Jouffroy-d'Abbans, Paris 17ème (Métro Wagram).

Bobby Jay

Paris - Gastro Bistro Le Cotte Roti

Frog's legs at Le Cotte Roti

The other night, J and I took a friend to Sardegna a Tavola, an excellent Sardinian restaurant in Paris' 12ème arrondissement. Or so we thought. When we arrived the table for three was sandwiched into a highly trafficked spot that guaranteed us an annoying experience. The lady taking care of us was rude about it, so we decided to leave, saying we'd just go to the excellent Le Cotte Roti next door. Before leaving, though, we decided to talk to the owner, who we know from past experience understands the hospitality business.

He said he was sorry but couldn't help us; instead, he talked to the people at Le Cotte Roti and secured us a table there (not so easy as it was full) and sent us each a glass of wine. So yes, we will return to Sardegna: a good save.

The "beauty part," as they say, was that our meal at Le Cotte Roti was superb. They have a wonderful 39-euro menu, with creative takes on the classics. I started with frogs' legs (a 5-euro supplement) -- perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. J started with a pea soup with creamy burrata, an interesting change from the classic cream or crème fraîche. Our friend's starter was home-made gravlax and (also homemade) Scandinavian pickles: she was happy.

Gravlax at Le Cotte Roti

Pea soup at Le Cotte Roti

I followed with the restaurant's signature dish, seven-hour lamb. Served with a densely earthy mushroom lasagna with many, many thin layers, this was the best version of this classic that I have ever had. Our guest agreed. J had an Iberico pork steak, which was excellent and lovely to look at. Desserts, which we shared, were very good, but not as memorable as the rest of the meal.

Le Cotte Roti 7-hour lamb with mushroom lasagna

Le Cotte Roti Iberico pork steak

Le Cotte Roti, 1 rue de Cotte, Paris 12ème (Métro Gare de Lyon or Ledru-Rollin).

Bobby Jay

Paris - Crom'exquis - Classy New Bistro

A new bistro has opened in our rather commercial Paris neigborhood, near St-Augustin, that received three red cocottes from the Lebey Guide to Paris Bistros and a plate from Pudlo, together with the designation "Bistrot classique de l'année."

This all seemed promising, so off I went to this attractive bistro, whose owner-chef is Pierre Meneau, son of Marc Meneau of l'Espérance fame (he also trained with Michel Guérard at Eugénie-les-Bains). The food is interesting and well-executed. Given the chef's pedigree, you would not expect classic food, despite Pudlo's "classique" denomination, and it wasn't. Nor was the décor, which is clean, modern and comfortable: really not a bistro at all. The hostess, the chef's girl friend, could not be nicer, and I had a lovely table, not guarding the bathroom as is often the case when I dine alone.

I started with a glass of champagne, accompanied by two foie gras crom'esquis -- little fried pastry balls with melted foie gras within -- which I found surprisingly unexciting. There followed a lovely amuse-bouche, a foamy soup whose ingredients I can't remember.

Crom'exquis amuse-bouche

Next,  pigeonneau, the night's special, which was divided into leg quarters that you eat with your hands (fingerbowl provided) and boneless breasts, all perfectly cooked.

Crom'exquis pigeonneau with orange sections and snow peas

Finally, a big profiterole with homemade vanilla ice cream and the best-ever salted butter caramel sauce.

Crom'exquis profiterole with salted butter caramel sauce

I know a lot about salted caramel, so I felt emboldened to chat with the chef about the sauce; after a few minutes of modest protestations, he let slip that he adds a little cognac after stopping the caramel from cooking by the addition of water, and before adding the salted Normandy butter. Sounds simple enough but it is not easy to make a caramel with such exquisite taste (deep, but without a trace of bitterness) and the perfect viscosity to pour over the profiterole.

I returned a week later with J, and it was just as good. She had the pigeonneau, while I had quasi de veau (closest translation is rumpsteak, I think). I couldn't resist getting the proferole a second time, but this time the two of us shared it. Still fantastic. The evening's very nice amuse-bouche, still pretty foamy, was based on smoked salmon. And I had a poached lobster appetizer that was really excellent, despite my general view that French lobster is not as good as the American variety.

The price is not low, about $100 per person with the champagne and a nice glass of Santenay. There are lunch menus at 28 and 39 euros. All in all, this is a very good, but not great, restaurant, that is a welcome addition to our Paris neighborhood; indeed I wish it was in our neighborhood in New York.

Crom'exquis, 22, rue d'Astorg, Métro St-Augustin.

Bobby Jay

Paris - New Discovery: Neva Cuisine

J and I tried a new restaurant, Cuisine Neva, which has two cocottes from Le Lebey des Bistrots 2013 and a plate from Pudlo Paris 2013. That, plus the fact that it is about seven minutes away by bus, was motivation enough to give it a try.

Neva Cuisine's chef is a Mexican woman who has trained with some of France's best, and it shows. Her (French) husband works in the front. The food is sophisticated, imaginative, tasty and well-presented. The 3-course menu at 39 euros (32 euros for two courses) is a real deal for this level of food.

I had a truly extraordinary pea soup, thick and rich due to the peas, not the small amount of cream included, with perfectly cooked whole fresh peas. J had the déclinaison de tomates with Spanish ham. It was memorable even though they had just run out of the mozzarella foam that normally completes the dish (and looked great at our neighbors' table). We then shared a veal chop, which was perfectly cooked and carved into interesting pieces and served with baby potatoes. For dessert I could not resist the sphere of chocolate that is filled with confited pineapple and chocolate and then destroyed in front of you by adding hot chocolate sauce (see picture below). Pretty spectacular. J had the pastry tube filled with red fruits and yogurt ice cream (also pictured below): not as sinful or impressive but just fine.

La sphère destructurée au chocolat Samana pur origine

La cerise - tube crousillant, glace yaourt, fruits rouges

Neva Cuisine is in a not very chic part of the 8th, although it is not difficult to get to. Definitely worth a visit.

Neva Cuisine, 2 rue de Berne, Paris 8ème, Métro Liège, Rome or Europe.

Bobby Jay

Paris - The Magnificent Brasserie Mollard

J arrived in Paris yesterday, a Sunday, when most restaurants are closed. She wanted something fairly simple, so we went to one of our fallback places, Mollard, which is a ten-minute walk from our apartment. This brasserie is one of the most beautiful in Paris, with beautifully restored mosaics throughout and pictures executed in ceramic tile. It opened in 1895 and dazzled the Parisians with its early Art Nouveau style.

We have generally found the food to be no more than fair, but last night it was really quite good. I had the 33-euro menu, which has a lot of choices. I had six oysters, dos de colin (there apparently is no English name for this excellent fish) and a raspberry tart. The oysters and fish course were fine, the tart too cold so a bit glutinous. J went à la carte, choosing the asparagus of the day (cold white and green asparagus with smoked salmon) and grilled bar (sea bass) with sautéed potatoes; both were good. Service is old-style, competent and friendly; they are used to tourists here.

In sum, Mollard is worth a visit, particularly on a Sunday night. The food is classic French, quite good but not great, and it is a treat to spend some time in the gorgeous surroundings. The 33-euro menu is an excellent deal, while other prices are a bit high for the quality of the cuisine.

Mollard, 115 rue Saint-Lazare, Paris 8ème.

Bobby Jay

Fresh Pasta Lesson at Atelier des Chefs

When in Paris, I often take cooking lessons at Atelier des Chefs, which are fun and useful and, in my case, very conveniently located about a minute from our apartment.

Although the lessons I have had in the past where we made Italian food, especially risotto, were not great, I took a lesson in fresh pasta yesterday and think I may have found the elusive base recipe/method that I will be able to confidently call on again and again.

The pastas were all delicious, especially the squid ink and truffle oil spaghetti with a pepper cream and shards of pecorino. The strong tastes of squid ink and truffle oil balanced each other in a surprisingly subtle way.

Tomato tagliatelle with grilled pancetta and vegetables

Duck confit ravioli with summer savory and diced vegetables

Squid ink and truffle oil spaghetti with pepper cream and pecorino

Bobby Jay

Paris in June

Paris in June is a treat, even if, this year, it is cold and wet. The great thing is the amazing fruit, especially cherries, apricots, strawberries and melons that taste the way they are supposed to.

Marché de l'avenue du Président Wilson

I arrived yesterday but resisted the temptation to shop, preferring to wait until this morning for a trip to the open-air market on the Avenue du Président Wilson, my favorite.

High tech chocolates at Jadis et Gourmande

Later, walking my little Sylvie, I came across a new branch of chocolatier Jadis et Gourmande, where you can buy a chocolate iPhone or iPad.

Moroccan food with my niece later.

Bobby Jay

If It's June, It's Clafoutis aux Cerises

Clafoutis aux cerises

My wonderful French teacher Caroline is moving to Florida and I am désolé. Among other things, she has shared in my interest in food, especially but not entirely French cuisine, and requested that I make her a clafoutis aux cerises before her departure. Resistance being futile, I complied.

In France, June is the month when spectacular cherries are abundant, and virtually every restaurant serves clafoutis to take advantage of them. A clafoutis essentially consists of fruit over which a pancake-like batter is poured, which is then baked. It is sometimes made as a tart and sometimes just baked in a heatproof dish. I opted for the tart, because I love making tarts, and found a recipe from the legendary Joel Robuchon, in Simply French, the master's collaboration with Patricia Wells. One of Robuchon's twists is to powder the tart with ground-up baked morsels of the tart dough, which you can see in the photo above. I was pleased with the result, and so was Caroline and some of her colleagues who came by to partake of the tart. However, I plan to go with a simpler, more classic and less intimidating version next time.

I am off to Paris next week, where the cherries are better than the ones we get from the West coast this time of year, and where I will no doubt sample a few versions of the real thing.

Bobby Jay

Castagnaccio - Italian Chestnut Cake

Castagnaccio

I was looking over my "To Cook Soon" file recently and came across David Rocco's recipe for castagnaccio, a traditional Italian chestnut cake. I compared it to another recipe in my file and this seemed to be the better one.

Castagnaccio is incredibly easy to make, has almost no fat or sugar and is gluten free; I was looking forward to recommending it to my celiac-suffering friend. So, using chestnut flour from Kalustyan's, wonderful rosemary from my friend Susan and unbelievably sweet raisins from our California based friends Nami and John, I set out to make the perfect castagnaccio. Which I might have done. It was beautiful, as you can see from the picture above.

The problem: castagnaccio is not really a cake at all (no leavening) and has a weird taste. It reminds me of the chestnut filling for seasonal sweets in Japan, but is less sweet and comes in an enormous quantity rather than pretty little bites.

While I can't exactly recommend it, if you're a chestnut fanatic, you might give it a try. The recipe is set forth below.

Bobby Jay

Castagnaccio

(David Rocco)

This is a very Italian, not-sweet pastry, best eaten with some vin santo. Probably originally for Italian grandmothers in the late afternoon rather than for dessert.
Serves  6-8
Ingredients		Directions
- 400 g chestnut flour - 30 ml sugar - Pinch salt - 500 ml water - 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil - 50 g raisins - 60 g pine nuts - Leaves from a rosemary sprig - Zest of 1 orange		1.     Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 2.     In a mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt, and water. Whisk the batter well until the batter is silky smooth in consistency. 3.     Add the olive oil to a nonstick pie pan and heat in the oven for 5 minutes. Once the oil and pie pan are hot, add the batter. Smooth out the batter evenly. Sprinkle the raisins, pine nuts, rosemary and orange zest on top. 4. Bake the cake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the top is golden.

Honoring the Seasons - Spring

Spring has finally arrived for real in New York, and the markets are brimming with interesting things, particularly greens at this point. So I set off to the Union Square Market to see what was in season and to develop ideas for using the season's bounty.

The things that most inspired me were new garlic, ramps and rhubarb. So I bought bunches and, upon returning home, decided what to do with them.

First, I made ramp risotto, using the bulbs as the onion/shallot component and the leaves in lieu of arugula or similar greens. I sliced the delicate cloves of new garlic as thinly as possible and threw them uncooked into the risotto about five minutes before it was done; this was enough to cook them lightly without losing their delicate flavor. The verdict: so-so. It needed lots more ramps and lots more garlic and still I'm not sure it would have been wonderful. Perhaps the ramps and new garlic are just too subtle for risotto.

Ramp and new garlic risotto

Second, I made a rhubarb,strawberry and ginger compote, which I served as an accompaniment to home-made ginger ice cream (from David Lebovitz's Perfect Scoop) with crushed ginger snaps for texture and zip. This was a very good dessert and, even though I had to use non-local (but at least USA) strawberries, it was a nice tribute to spring.

Rhubarb strawberry ginger compote with ginger ice cream

Even though the risotto was not a great success, it felt good to welcome the local terroir back into our lives.

Bobby Jay

Trader Joe's Fabulous Truffles

Surely a list of the great edible things in this world would include chocolate, salted caramel and peanut butter.

Imagine, therefore, my pleasure in discovering a package of Trader Joe's truffles outside my door last night, left by my friend Piglet.

These little bites touch all three bases in a perfectly balanced way, and the quality of the chocolate is high by any standards. And all this without having to go to Paris, where you could only get two of the flavors (no peanut butter there) in any event.

Bobby Jay

Family Table: Michael Romano's Latest Cookbook

Michael Romano's Union Square Cookbook is one of the best I have seen. It was our Bible when my wife and I spent three years in Tokyo. Romano's sequel, Second Helpings from Union Square Cafe, is also good, but not as groundbreaking.

Romano has just released a new cookbook, Family Table: Favorite Staff Meals from Our Restaurants to Your Home, written with Karen Stabiner. Family Table presents recipes for a number of meals served to the staff of the extraordinary restaurants in the Union Square Hospitality Group: Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, The Modern, Maialino, Blue Smoke, Tabla (no longer with us), Eleven Madison Park (no longer part of the same group) and North End Grill.  Having just read it from cover-to-cover, I was most impressed by the obvious quality of the recipes -- you can see that the excellent editing of the earlier books is maintained here; the eclecticism of the recipes (Italian, American, Asian, South American, Indian and other ingredients working together in harmony – if only the world’s countries could do the same!); the inside stories that gave a context to many of the recipes that make the reader (me) want to try them immediately; and the overall humanity and respect, not just for great food but for the people who prepare and serve it, evidenced on nearly every page.

For example, the story of how Farro & Beans came to be honors Geoff Lazlo’s skill and ability to improvise, while Joe Anthony’s approach adds piquancy to his Penne with Fennel, Spinach & Golden Raisins (a riff on a Sicilian classic). And who would not want to try Iris Battista’s tried and true Dominican Chicken or enjoy Floyd Cardoz’ five-generations old Goan-Spiced Braised Pork? Similarly, the stories behind Gabriel Kreuther’s Roasted Potatoes with Fromage Blanc & Bacon and Prizewinning Apple & Pear Tart have moved these recipes to the top of my “To Cook Soon” list. There are many other stories and related recipes that I could cite, but you get the picture.

Most of the dishes featured in the book bear little resemblance to the complex and meticulously prepared and finished dishes one finds in the restaurants in the Union Square Hospitality Group. But Romano's book shows the close connections, mutual respect and shared sense of purpose among the members of the teams that conceive, prep, cook and serve the wonderful meals for which that group is renowned. Those connections and that respect, which must be instilled from the top, are what make it all possible.

Bobby Jay

Mario Batali Meets Jackson Pollack: Anisette Glazed Bittersweet Chocolate Tart

I have been wanting to make this cake, from Mario Batali's television show, for some time, and finally got to it last weekend, when a chocolate lover was coming to dinner. With a hint of Sambuca in the filling, a hint of cinnamon in the crust and the lovely Sambuca flavored icing, this is an unmistakably Italian pastry. It tastes as good as it looks, and is not difficult to make. Here's a link to the recipe.

Bobby Jay

Passover 2013

Roast chicken with sumac, za'atar and lemons

I made the family seder again this year, for just the second time. We did it on Saturday night, not the official night, so that family members from North of Boston to Washington could all make it. I had fun cooking for a week, making a few things a day from a carefully drafted schedule. As a result there were no major mistakes and I was not too flustered despite all the work.

Here's the menu, all presented at tables magnificently set and flowered by my wife Joan:

2013 Passover Menu

Hors d'Oeuvres 

• Charred eggplant with tahini and pomegranate molasses (Ottolenghi, Plenty)
• Tapenade (Jacques Pépin, Essential Pépin)
• Matzo Flour Gougères (Clotilde Dusoulier's blog, Chocolate & Zucchini, Essential Pépin)
• Bobby Jay's sun-dried tomato and olive ricotta spread
• Lemon scented veal meatballs (Mario Batali's TV show, Molto Mario)
• Bar Nuts (Michael Romano, Union Square Cookbook)

Dinner

• Naomi’s chunky apple charoses
• Matzo ball soup (Wolfgang Puck for balls, Rosso and Lukens, The New Basics, for soup
• Gefilte fish with smoked whitefish (Bon Appétit, April 2002) with tons of Stan and Ina's homemade horseradish
• Roast chicken with sumac, za'atar and two lemons (Ottolenghi, Ottolenghi: The Cookbook)
• Quinoa with pomegranate seeds, almonds and parsley (yes, it's kosher for passover, neither a grain nor a legume)
• Ina’s incomparable brisket (Vicki's version)

Desserts

• Flourless orange and ginger cake (Chocolate & Zucchini)
• Pineapple coconut macaroons (David Lebovitz's blog, David Lebovitz)
• Vicki’s delicious assorted cookies and bars
• Various store-bought sponge cakes

Pineapple coconut macaroons

At the end of the evening, I announced that I have decided to become Sephardic for culinary purposes and that, accordingly, next year's Seder will be completely different, with Sephardic dishes from around the Middle East. This idea was met with excitement, so it's really "Next Year in (or near) Jerusalem!".

Bobby Jay