Video Attempt: Bon Appétempt Goes to Palm Springs

The director of this video cut the clips of me raving about this food, so just to be clear: this meal was delicious. I want to eat it all summer long. And the agua de Jamaica? Superb. I need to start buying dried hibiscus flowers in bulk.

In other news, I'm teaching a couple of classes again, including a food-writing seminar for which I promise to make some sort of delicious snack. Check it out here and sign up! Thanks.

Burnt Eggplant with Tahini adapted from Plenty
Serves 2-4

2 medium-sized eggplants
1/2 cup tahini paste
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice (or more to taste)
1 garlic clove crushed
nice handful of parsley, chopped
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (optional)
a little olive oil to finish
flatbread or baguette, to serve

To burn your eggplants: on a gas stovetop, line the area around the burners with foil to protect them. Put the eggplants directly on top of the grates on two moderate flames and roast for 12-15 minutes, turning frequently with metal tongs, until the flesh is soft, smoky and shrunken in, and the skin is burnt all over. Keep an eye on them the whole time so they don't catch fire.

When cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a colander, avoiding the blackened skin. Leave to drain for at least 30 minutes.

Chop the eggplant flesh roughly and transfer to a medium mixing bowl. Add the tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, parsley and some salt and pepper; mix well with a whisk. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more garlic, lemon juice if needed. If you want to add tomatoes, go ahead!

Serve with warm flatbread or toasted and drizzled-in-olive-oil slices of baguette.


Shirazi Salad* slightly adapted from Saveur
*At the Middle Eastern restaurant where I worked, they called this the Lebanese Salata, but according to my Internet-based research, Shirazi seems to be the much more prevalent name.

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
A nice handful or two of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I love parsley, so I use a lot.)
5 Persian cucumbers, cut into small cubes
2 tomatoes, seeds removed, finely chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

Whisk together the olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Taste it to make sure the citrus really shines. If it doesn't, add more lemon juice. Add the parsley, cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onions and toss to combine. Serve at room temp.

Agua de Jamaica slightly adapted from Paletas

makes 6 cups

1 1/2 cups dried hibiscus flowers

6 cups water

1/2 cup sugar (This makes for a very subtly-sweetened drink, so if you like your drinks a bit sweeter, I'd probably use 3/4 cup.)

Rinse the flowers in cold water and drain thoroughly. Put them in a saucepan, cover with the water, and let steep for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour in  the sugar and stir until it's dissolved. Let cool to room temperature. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher, pressing the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Refrigerate until chilled and taste, adding more water if you think it's too strong. Or, you could just serve over a bunch of ice and let it mellow a bit that way. 

Blueberry Pancakes with Ricotta and Orange Zest

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and in the case of the above photo, I would have to agree with them. These pancakes were my everything yesterday late morning when I ate them minutes after having taken them off the hot pan and minutes before dashing to work and leaving Matt with all of the clean-up. (Thanks again, Matt!)

I knew I was pushing it when at 11:17, I was still in my pajamas, flipping pancakes, and in order to be on time to work, I would have to be in my car at 11:35, but I also knew that I really wanted these pancakes and that to eat a few before I left would keep me going well into the afternoon.

Oh, and I haven't even told you the best part. When I came home from the grocery store the other day, I found this container of organic blueberries that I had neither put in my cart nor, upon checking my receipt, paid for. In other words, these blubes were a gift from the universe! So, of course, I pledged right then and there to make good use of them. 

And boy did I! I mean, these probably aren't going to be your new standby pancake recipe that you turn to every Saturday morning, what with the separating of the eggs and beating of the egg whites until stiff, but I would definitely make these on special occasions and/or for dinner alongside some scrambled eggs. They're at once savory and sweet, light and fulfilling, good and evil (Evil because I guess, technically, I should have driven back to Glendale and returned the unpaid-for blubes?) (Was never gonna happen.)

Speaking of pictures being worth a thousand words, can we switch gears and talk about author photos for a few minutes? Thanks. See, during a recent trip to my local bookstore, I spied the exact copy of Amy Hempel's collected short stories as the one I have had on my bookshelf at home for at least seven years now. And what struck me was that the author photo was also exactly the same. In other words, Ms. Hempel hasn't aged a day in seven years! Therefore, what am I waiting for? Though I haven't finished writing the book yet, I need to lock in my author photo asap. I know, I know. Cue Carly Simon's "You're so Vain." (Pretty sure that song is about me though.) Also, who is to say that they will be selling copies of my book seven years from now? (But then again, the universe is sending me free blueberries, so...) 

Point being, if to choose an author photo is to convey a thousand words about myself, what do I want those words to say? Well, I've studied the field and narrowed it down to six specific categories. Thoughts? Favorites?

Blueberry Pancakes with Ricotta and Orange Zest via Nigel Slater's Ripe
8 oz. ricotta (about 1 cup)
4 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs, separated
zest of one orange
2 tablespoons plus a little extra melted butter
7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3.5 oz. (about 2/3 cup) blueberries

In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, sugar, and egg yolks together. Grate the orange zest into the bowl and stir it in gently with the melted butter. Add the flour and carefully fold in.

Beat the egg whites with a balloon whisk in a large bowl until stiff, then fold them lightly into the ricotta mixture. It is important not to knock the air out. Carefully fold in the blueberries.

Warm a nonstick frying pan over medium heat, brush it with a little butter, then place a heaping tablespoon of the mixture in the pan, followed by another two or three depending on the size of your pan. Let them cook for a minute or two until they have risen somewhat and the underside has colored appetizingly, then, using a thin spatula, flip them over to cook the other side. Nigel says to "do this as if you mean it," and he's right! Otherwise they collapse as you turn them. Cook them for a couple of minutes more, then serve immediately, hot from the pan. (Matt ate them with maple syrup, but they're amazing on their own!)

Funfetti Cake

Well, it's that time of year again! Yes, Matt's birthday, and consequently, Matt's birthday cake! This year he wanted a funfetti (confetti?) cake. And I was only too happy to oblige him.

My strategy? Take Alice Waters' vanilla cake recipe and add sprinkles. Then take Martha Stewart's vanilla frosting recipe and add sprinkles. And I think it worked, for the most part. Two things I would do differently for next time though.

1. Get more sprinkles. I had some leftover from our Kinfolk attempt, and then I had Matt pick up another container when he was at Whole Foods. This leads to the second thing I would do differently for next time.

2. Don't try and get sprinkles at Whole Foods. Matt returned with the saddest packet of all-natural, gluten-free pastel-colored sprinkles. I don't know. I guess I thought the company that bombards you with one-bite brownies and cupcakes near the check-out line would have had a better sprinkle selection. But, like I always belt out in a breathy, Alanis kinda way: you live, you learn.

I could have just put these two cake layers together in between some icing, but I felt like Matt deserved better than that and so, decided to slice them in half using the floss-method.

(Bon Appé-tip: if a nice, even cake is what you're after, maybe don't use the floss-method.)

The A is a star. Thus, Matt is a star, get it?! (If you look back at previous cakes I've made, it becomes clear that I've taken my cake-decorating skills as far as they can go. Perhaps it's time for me to sign up for a class or something?)

But let me ask you this, would it be a celebration of Matt, Bon Appétempt's in-house photographer/director/editor/first-commenter without a video? I don't think so. Only for this video, we're going deep into the archives. See, this may not be a particularly momentous birthday for Matt, but it does mark ten years since we've graduated from college and ten years since Matt made the below short film, which I love just as much today as I did the first time he showed it to me in the basement of my parents' house when we were both unhappily living at home in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. So, without further adieu, I give you Russell Sweetwater in: Heart of Gold. Happy birthday, Matt!!

Vanilla Cake (makes two 9-inch round cakes) slightly adapted from The Art of Simple Food

4 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

sprinkles! [note: Alice Waters' recipe definitely does NOT call for sprinkles.]

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter the cake pans and line the bottom of each with parchment paper. Butter the paper and dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess. Separate your eggs. Measure the milk.

Sift and measure the flour. [I always skip the step of sifting flour, though I'm sure my cake would be fluffier if I didn't.] Stir in the baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat the softened butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and cream until it's also light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Add the vanilla.

When well mixed, add the flour mixture and milk alternately, starting and ending with the one third of the flour. Stir just until the flour is incorporated. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Stir one third of the egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the rest. If adding sprinkles, this is where you add them. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

Vanilla Frosting slightly adapted from Martha Stewart Living

makes enough to fill and ice a 9-inch layer cake

2 sticks butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
about 8 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 cup plus two tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
sprinkles!

Beat together butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high sped until pale and creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low. Add confectioner's sugar, about 1 cup at a time, beating well after reach addition.

Add salt, milk and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stir in sprinkles, if using.  

Note: I like my frosting not to be achingly sweet, so I always err on the side of less confectioner's sugar, but this can also lead to a runnier frosting. If your frosting seems too liquidy, feel free to add more confectioner's sugar. (If not using immediately, cover surface of frosting with plastic wrap. Frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week. Before using, bring to room temperature, then beat on low speed until smooth.)

Video attempt: One-Pan Pasta and Cherry-Almond Clafoutis

Making this pasta felt like performing a magic trick. I would recommend making it as soon as possible. As for the clafoutis? Provided you buy already blanched almonds and use a cherry-pitter, well, it's pretty magical too.

Cherry-Almond Clafoutis slightly adapted from A Platter of Figs

1 tablespoon butter

Flour for dusting the pan

2 pounds cherries, pitted

1/2 cup blanched whole almonds

6 large eggs

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 375F. Butter and flour a 10- or 12-inch gratin dish or large cast-iron frying pan and arrange the cherries in the bottom. Scatter the blanched almonds evenly over the cherries.

Beat the eggs with the brown sugar and flour. When the mixture is smooth, whisk in the milk. Add the vanilla extract. Pour the batter over the fruit.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool, then dust with powdered sugar. Clafoutis tastes best at room temperature. 

One-Pan Pasta via Martha Stewart Living

12 oz. dried spaghetti

12 oz. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large

1 onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

3 sprigs basil, plus more torn ones for garnish

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive lil, plus more for serving

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

4 1/2 cups water

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Combine the pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, red-pepper flakes, basil, oil, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and water in a large straight-sided skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil mixture, stirring and turning pasta frequently with tongs, until pasta is al dente and water has nearly been absorbed, about 9 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with basil. Serve with olive oil and Parmesan.

Black Paella with Squid and Shrimp

Here lies a paella recipe I've been wanting to make for about three years. And now that I've done it, that's two, count 'em two times I've used my paella pan! While we're counting, it was also my second time using squid ink, which was not so easy to find here in this giant city of Los Angeles. I called around, and Monsieur Marcel was the only place stocking it. And in a moment of modern-day gallantry, Matt offered to go to The Grove on a Friday night and pick it up for me. For those of you who don't live in Los Angeles, just imagine trying to park at the mall on the day after Thanksgiving and you'll get an idea of the mess that is The Grove on a weekend. 

But back to the paella. My mom's been in town all week, and after much flipping through my various cookbooks, this is the recipe that won our hearts and minds.

Whenever we have visitors—but particularly familial visitors—I realize what a horrible control freak I've become. Suddenly, I have to use all of my will power to keep my mouth shut so that I'm not constantly telling my visitors how to live their lives whilst living them inside our house, e.g., "Is that chocolate on the couch? OK, that's it. No more eating upstairs!" Or, "Diet Coke before 8:00 am? Huh." Or the perennial, "It sure would be easier if you drove, don't ya think, Mom?" You get the idea.

But then, on the last night of my mom's visit, while we made this paella together, a dish I'd never made before, and thus, a dish I didn't necessarily know how to make properly, I realized I suddenly needed to know how my mom would go about doing things. "Should we add Andouille sausage? The recipe doesn't call for it, but I think it might be nice." And, "Do you think the pan is too hot?" Or, "How the heck are we going to get this filled-to-the-brim paella pan into the oven without spilling it everywhere?" (The latter of which, Mom had a great answer for: we reserved adding the last cup of broth to the pan until after we'd gotten it on the oven rack.) Point being, I'd like to publicly apologize to those who I've felt comfortable enough around to let you know exactly what you're doing wrong and why. Three specific names come to mind: Matt, Mom, and my brother, Bill. I'm sorry! I love you! I'll work on it!

As you can see, the end result was something quite magnificent, albeit slightly overcooked. (I left it in the oven for a few too many minutes as we caught up with old friends and drank shandies on the deck.) Oh, this is also a really great dinner-party dish. We served it to seven adults, two kids, and two dogs, and we still have leftovers. (Though the kids may have eaten spaghetti and butter and the dogs may have eaten dog food.)

And finally, happy Mother's Day to all you Moms! It's not an easy job with daughters like me out there ready to pull your chocolate-eating-upstairs privileges! xoxo

Black Paella with Squid and Shrimp slightly adapted from A Platter of Figs
serves 8-10

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 Andouille chicken sausages, sliced into bite-sized disks (optional, but a pretty delicious addition.)
1 lb. shrimp
salt and pepper
1 large onion, diced
1 lb. cleaned squid, bodies cut into thin rings and tentacles coarsely chopped
A pinch of crumbled saffron
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 tomato puree
4 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste with a little salt
1 package squid ink, about 1 tablespoon
3 cups Bomba or Arborio rice
6 cups light chicken stock or water

Preheat the oven to 350F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 12-inch earthenware cazuela or paella pan over a medium flame. Add the slices of sausage and cook until nicely browned on each side. Remove and set aside. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan before adding the shrimp. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and saute briefly, just until they turn pink, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove shrimp and set aside.

If the pan seems dry, add one more tablespoon of olive oil before adding the onion to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, to brown a bit. Add the squid, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 2 minutes more. Add the saffron, cayenne, tomato, garlic, squid ink, and rice, stirring well to coat the rice. Finally, add a large pinch of salt and the broth. Let the broth come to a full simmer. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Put the pan in the oven. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove and arrange the shrimp and sausage on top. Put back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove and cover the pan with a clean dish towel. Let the paella rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. It tastes best just slightly warm.