Excerpt
Recipes from My Home Kitchen
Chapter 1
Snacks and Starters
Appetizers and small plates are often my favorite things to eat. When hunger kicks in, they're the perfect way to whet the appetite without killing it. In fact, the best snacks and starters not only leave room for the main course but set the tone for the entire meal. They need to wow the diner in both appearance and, of course, taste. This doesn't always translate to fancy food. On the contrary, some of the most successful snacks and appetizers I've served are just the opposite. Consider classic tomato bruschetta. It's not new, but it never stops delighting, especially when it's made in season with tomatoes and sweet basil straight from the garden. Kale chips, among the easiest snacks to make, require no plates or utensils to eat but are served in a big communal bowl and eaten by hand. I have also included here a few recipes that are great to serve your mother- in-law, the boss, or anyone you're trying to impress. Salmon Poke, a no- cook preparation of glistening salmon tossed in sesame oil, is easy to put together, but the tiny mound of shiny jewels looks quite special. Sweetbreads, too, are here, a good choice when you're entertaining more formally. As with all my cooking, you'll find a little bit of the West and a little bit of the East in this chapter. In some cases, I've taken an American classic and given it a Southeast Asian twist. Caramelized Chicken Wings, for example, are marinated in garlic and fish sauce (some of my favorite ingredients). Whatever the iteration, pizza or flatbread, candied bacon or seaweed rice rolls, I am lucky to hail from such disparate places when it comes to food; it makes for an interesting way to start a meal.
CLASSIC BRUSCHETTAWhen I backpacked through western Europe the summer after I graduated from college, the country I most anticipated visiting was Italy. Growing up on pizzas and spaghetti, my naive 22-year-old self thought as soon as I stepped off the train in Rome, I'd be surrounded by pies and pastas galore. Unfortunately, I came to learn a few vital lessons the hard way: (1) One couldn't get very far on a backpacker's budget of a few lire per day, and (2) every place I could afford served chicken and potatoes only.
Of all the foods I ate in Rome, the most memorable was a simple plate of bruschetta served to me by a gentle waiter at an open-air cafe. I had no idea what bruschetta was at the time, but I ordered it because it was one of the cheaper items on the menu. With ripe, sweet tomatoes and fragrant basil, the bruschetta turned out to be the best thing I ate during my stay. I adored how something so simple could taste so indulgent, especially with a glass of red table wine. Sitting there, I no longer felt like a backpacker on a budget. Nowadays whenever I want to re-create that sweet memory of romantic Rome, I prepare this dish. Buon appetito!
SERVES 6
2 Roma tomatoes, diced and strained
1/4 red onion, diced
6 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced, plus additional for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 French baguette, cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices
1/8 cup (1/2 ounce) grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, 6 fresh basil leaves, salt, and pepper. Add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss to coat thoroughly. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
Brush the butter onto both sides of each bread slice and place on a baking sheet. Bake until the bread is light golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Spoon the tomato mixture on top of each slice and dust with the Parmesan. Garnish with the additional basil leaves and serve.
THE PICK FOR POTLUCKS
Bruschetta is my go-to recipe for potlucks or parties when I'm short on time but want to show up with something that looks like it took a lot of effort to prepare. Just be sure to keep the tomato-basil mixture separate from the slices of toast until it's time to serve, or you'll suffer from soggy bread syndrome--not good.
KALE AND MUSHROOM CHIPSWho doesn't love a good chip? From the ages of 6 to 11, the only things sustaining me during summer breaks were potato chips. My favorite flavor was sour cream and onion, and I could polish off a family-sized bag over the course of a day. Sick, I know.
Today, I am still obsessed with chips. But now that I'm older (and a tad wiser), I know all those starchy potatoes can't be good for me. Instead, I turn to kale and maitake mushrooms, both of which pack major health benefits. I created this recipe for the finale of MasterChef Season 3 and served it with some pickled shallots as an accompaniment to my Braised Pork Belly with Egg (page 65). But the best way to eat these chips, in my opinion, is straight from the paper towel-lined plate.
SERVES 4
Canola oil
8 ounces maitake, oyster, or shiitake mushrooms, brushed clean and stems removed
2 tablespoons quick-mixing flour such as Wondra
2 large bunches kale, stems removed and coarsely chopped
Fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt
Fill a deep pot with 3 inches of oil and heat over high heat until hot.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the mushrooms with the flour and toss to coat. Shake to remove excess flour.
Working in batches, deep-fry the mushrooms until golden and crispy, 30 to 45 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a paper towel- lined platter to drain.
When the oil returns to high heat, deep-fry the kale in batches until crispy, 10 to 15 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the kale to a paper towel-lined platter to drain.
In a serving bowl, combine the kale and mushrooms, sprinkle them with the salt, and gently toss. Serve immediately.
YOU GET OUT OF IT WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT
With just five ingredients here, it's essential to use the very best you can find. Using a special salt may seem frivolous, but there's a reason I suggest it: You want the salt to enhance the flavors of the vegetables and quickly melt away on your tongue, an experience you won't get from, say, iodized table salt from a canister. So forgo Starbucks a couple of times and use that money instead to buy a small stash of fancy salt.
PROSCIUTTO AND ARUGULA PIZZAWhen I was a child, my parents often used pizza to bribe me. "If you finish all your homework early, we'll order pizza for dinner." Or "If you're a good girl while Mommy shops for 6 hours, you'll get some pizza." Or "If you don't cry in ice-skating class today, you'll get pizza for lunch." Pizza was a constant reward throughout my childhood, so it's no wonder I love it so much. I may as well call it Pavlovian pie.
A good pizza is all about the crust. It should be crispy with a perfect balance of sugar, salt, and yeast. I love a simple pie; toppings shouldn't be overdone to the point where the crust sags when you pick up a slice with your hands.
During a recent trip to San Francisco, I had a Neapolitan pizza topped with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, and arugula. It was love at first taste. Once home, I found myself dreaming about that pizza so much that I went to work in the kitchen. While my version isn't a true Neapolitan pie (for one, it utilizes a rolling pin, and that's just the beginning), it marries the best of both worlds: the prosciutto, arugula, and mozzarella from the classic, with a crust and sauce similar to those I grew up eating. It has become a household favorite, especially for weekend movie nights. It's so good that you'll be able to bribe everyone into watching that vampire love/Vin Diesel film you've been dying to see. (You know who you are.)
MAKES ONE 10-INCH PIZZA (SERVES 4 TO 6)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup flat beer, preferably lager
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons cornmeal
1/2 cup No-Cook Pizza Sauce (page 176)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
3 slices prosciutto, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup arugula
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, basil, beer, and butter. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing until a ball forms around the hook. If the dough is very dry, add a dash of beer; if it is too wet, add a pinch of flour. The dough should be slightly tacky. Once the dough forms a ball, increase the speed to medium-high and knead for 6 minutes.
Coat the inside of a large bowl with 11/2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover it with a damp towel. Set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free area until the dough has doubled in size, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.
Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Dust a clean work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Roll out the pizza dough into a 10-inch circle approximately 1/8 inch thick.
Sprinkle the cornmeal onto the pizza stone. Carefully lift the dough onto a pizza peel and brush it with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes. Using the peel, remove the dough from the oven and spread the sauce evenly over it. Arrange the mozzarella on top and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is light gold and crispy, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven with the peel and top with the prosciutto and arugula. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.
"KNEAD" TO WORK OUT?
If you're looking to build your triceps, you can forgo the stand mixer and knead the dough with your hands. Combine the ingredients as above and work them with your hands until they come together. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and, with lightly floured hands, begin kneading: Using the heels of your hands, press down into the center of the ball of dough; fold the bottom half of the dough up over the center; turn the dough a quarter turn; repeat. Do this for 10 to 15 minutes as quickly as possible. You know you're finished when you have one pretty ball of smooth dough--and two sore arms.
TIME-SAVING TIP
The dough can be made the day before and, in my opinion, tastes even better when it is. After you let it rise, cover and refrigerate it overnight. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for about 2 hours to warm up to room temperature before rolling it out. Want to save even more time? Use a good-quality canned pizza sauce instead of making it from scratch.
