Exciting News + A Spring Brunch

Friends, I've got a few exciting things to share:

One, my fabulous photographer friend Signe Birck is back! You may remember her lovely photographs from previous posts (here and here), or read her Q&A a few months ago. She's back in NYC (from Copenhagen), and I am thrilled that she wants to continue working together. Her pictures are so light and airy, and my food has never looked more delicious than when captured through her lens. Not only is Signe super-talented, but she's a pleasure to work with. Stay tuned for more of her work on the blog (including today's beautiful shots).



Two, we've got a brand new Yellow Table site in store! We've been working over-time to get the new site ready to launch, and we're just a few days away (and by we, I mostly mean my amazing husband Brandon – he's the one who knows how to do all the coding and designing!). And for those of you who provided feedback, thank you! It was really helpful to hear your thoughts on the blog, and to know what you'd like to see more of. In response to your suggestions, we will have a comprehensive recipe index (arranged by category and season) and a much more user-friendly interface. And lots of other cool things that you'll just have to wait and see for yourself :)

And last but not least, it's (nearly) spring!! With the balmy weather lately (60's and 70's in NYC) and the extra hour of daylight, I've got spring on the brain. Which means, it's time to start planning a spring brunch party. Because what could be more spring-like than tulips, mimosas, and pastel colors?!



There's something really wonderful about having friends over for brunch (instead of going out and waiting in line for an hour). I love the sunlight streaming in the windows. I love buying fresh flowers and placing them around the apartment. I love drinking bubbly in the middle of the day (who doesn't?!). I love how relaxed everyone is after a good night's sleep, late on a weekend morning. Plus it's really nice to throw a party and still have plenty of daylight hours left to enjoy. But most of all, I just love brunch food.

When planning a brunch menu, I like to include a little sweet, a little savory, and a lot of bubbly (and coffee). And ideally, everything can be assembled in about an hour, so I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn. For this party, I made mini frittatas with goat cheese, spinach, and bacon, blood orange mimosas, a bowl of mixed berries, and picked up mini pastries from Ceci-Cela, a nearby French bakery.



The idea for these brilliant little frittatas came from my good friend Amanda. You just whisk some eggs together with your favorite cheese, vegetable, herb, and/or meat (like bacon, sausage, or prosciutto) and bake them in muffin tins for 15 minutes or so. My favorite combination is spinach, bacon, shallots, and goat cheese (recipe below). I've made them a few times now and I love how versatile, easy, and delicious they are. And as an added bonus, they can be served hot or at room temperature. Thanks for sharing, Amanda!!



I hope you are inspired to have a few friends over this weekend (or sometime soon) for a laid-back spring brunch. Go buy some fresh tulips, a few bottles of Prosecco, some blood oranges (while they are still around!), berries, and your favorite frittata ingredients. Make it easy on yourself and pick up some pastries or scones. Or if you're feeling really ambitious, try this Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake or these Banana Muffins with Sour Cream and Walnuts. Whatever you make, as long as there are good friends, good conversation, and plenty of mimosas, you can't got wrong.



(All photos by Signe Birck)

MINI SPINACH, BACON, AND GOAT CHEESE FRITTATAS

Makes 12

5 strips bacon, diced
1 small shallot, minced
9 ounces baby spinach
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
12 eggs + 2 egg whites
Salt and pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a nonstick regular-size (not jumbo) muffin tin with cooking spray, or grease with vegetable oil and a paper towel. Place the muffin tin on a baking sheet.

In a large saute pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Increase the heat to medium high and add the shallot. Cook for 2 minutes or until translucent. Add the spinach (you may have to do this gradually, depending on how big your pan is), stirring constantly and cooking until bright green and wilted. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the bacon.

In a large bowl (preferably with pouring spout), whisk together the eggs and egg yolks. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Divide the spinach-bacon mixture into the bottoms of the 12 muffin cups. Carefully pour (or ladle) the egg mixture over the spinach, filling each muffin cup until nearly full. Add a few crumbles of goat cheese to each cup (make sure to use it all) and finish with a sprinkling of red pepper flakes.

Carefully place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the frittatas are puffed up like little souffles. Turn the oven up to broil and cook for an additional 2 minutes to create a nice golden color on top.

Let cool for a couple of minutes then, using a small knife, cut around the edges of each frittata to remove them from the pans. (NOTE: Soak the pan immediately in soapy water to remove any egg remains.) Serve hot or at room temperature.

BLOOD ORANGE MIMOSAS

Makes 6

3 blood oranges, halved
1 bottle Prosecco, well chilled
6 Champagne flutes

Using a juicer, squeeze the oranges into a liquid measuring cup. (You should have about 3/4 cup.)

Fill the bottoms of six Champagne flutes with blood orange juice. Carefully fill each glass with Prosecco, pausing to allow the bubbles to go down. Drink immediately!

A Day I'll Never Forget...

There are few things in life I love more than a good story. My favorite saying as a child was "You never know what a day will bring." That expression continues to influence my life, giving me a sense of hope and excitement about what each day might hold. I don't ever want to lose that sense of wonder. I feel so privileged to be a part of a story that is so immense and so beautiful, written by a far greater storyteller than me.

Two years ago today–on March 11, 2010–the greatest story of my life unfolded in an utterly surprising and beautiful way. For those of you who already know this story, forgive me for retelling it. For those of you who haven't heard it, be encouraged: dreams absolutely can and do come true. The story involves my favorite place (Paris), my favorite person (Brandon), a gorgeous dress, a scavenger hunt, a bunch of red roses, a bridge, and a ring. Fairy tell stuff, right?

The story took place on my 30th birthday. I was working for the French Tourist Office at the time, a job that involved frequent travel to France (rough, I know...!). Lucky for me, I had a business trip that was scheduled a few days after my birthday so the lightbulb went off in my head: why not avoid all the angst surrounding turning 30 and celebrate in Paris? I got the green light from my boss to move up my ticket a few days and then presented the idea to Brandon. We had been dating for nearly two years at this point and had been to Paris once together already. He loved the idea and said it would actually work out perfectly because he needed to go to London on business. He said he'd see if he could arrange his trip for the few days before my birthday and just take the train over to Paris to meet me. Perfect!

I proceeded to make all the plans (as I love to do): booked a hotel, made dinner reservations, made plans with my Parisian friends. Little did I know that Brandon was making plans of his own...



He gave me a present and a card before he left and told me not to open it until I landed in Paris, the morning of my birthday. I loved that I had a surprise to look forward to when I landed. A few days later, I landed and groggily opened my card. It said "Happy Birthday Love! Today is a big day and I want you to use your gift to document our big adventure." (Big adventure?! What did he have in mind??) The card continued: "Your driver will be downstairs to meet you. See you later today!" ?! What?? Driver?? Oh my gosh. I opened the present and it was a little handheld video camera that just said "Push Play." I did, and there was a little message from Brandon, telling me he loved me and that I should use this to document my special day. I burst into tears...how in the world had he planned all of this? And what did he have in store?

My head was buzzing with ideas and thoughts and excitement. Could he possibly be... No, no, no I told myself. He's not proposing. We had definitely talked about marriage and knew we wanted to one day, but I knew he hadn't talked to my dad yet and we had a trip planned to visit my parents the following month. So I put all engagement thoughts aside and decided to just focus on this elaborate birthday surprise he had in store.

I headed down to get my luggage, and sure enough, there was a driver with a little Mlle WATSON sign waiting for me. It was all completely surreal. I hopped in the car, and off we went! I had no idea where we were headed and the driver said he wasn't allowed to tell me! I settled back for 45 minutes until we began winding our way through the narrow streets of Paris. We finally ended up in the Marais and pulled up in front of the adorable Hotel du Petit Moulin (a place I had been dying to visit for years!).

The hotel staff whisked away my luggage and took me up to my room. The rest of the story is recorded in this amazing video, filmed and edited by Victor Paguia. (Who, I later found out, Brandon had flown over to secretly document the whole story! His then-girlfriend, now fiancee, Becky Shim took the beautiful pictures.)



All in all, this was–aside from my wedding day–the most magical day of my life. The video still brings tears to my eyes. That this amazing man loved me enough not only to want to spend the rest of his life with me, but that he knew me well enough to want to give me a great story.

One other little detail that the video doesn't share was that Brandon had, in fact already talked to my parents. While I was traveling for work that January, he had secretly flown down to Nashville to talk to my parents and ask their blessing. They gave it readily, and kept it all a secret for six weeks until we were engaged. So the whole day when I was going on this amazing scavenger hunt (to all my favorite spots in Paris!) I kept telling myself, don't expect a proposal, don't expect a proposal...

Of course the story is only beginning. Six months after our Parisian engagement we were married in NYC (that deserves a post of its own one day...!)



And today, two years later, I am even more in love with this man than I ever thought possible. I am one very, very blessed woman. If you take away one thing from this story, I hope it's this: "You never know what a day will bring!"


Engagement photos by: Becky Shim
Video by: Victor Paguia
Wedding photo by: Eric Ryan Anderson


click for recipe & more…

Banana Muffins with Sour Cream and Walnuts

I've always had a weakness for banana anything. Maybe it's because my nickname growing up was 'Anna Banana,' or maybe it's because my mom used to make banana bread all the time. And not just any banana bread. Sweet and ultra-moist (thanks to her secret ingredient: crushed pineapple), I literally had dreams about this bread as a child. It was, and still is, the best banana bread I've ever had, and she usually has a loaf waiting for me when I go home to visit. But lately, as I've begun cutting back on sugar, I find that many baked goods (including her famous bread!) are now a bit too sweet for me. In fact, most pastries I order at restaurants or bakeries are way too sweet. Which is I why I prefer to bake at home. It's not only way more enjoyable, but I can control the amount of sugar that goes into what I'm eating.

The other night, a friend came over for a fun night of baking and brainstorming (the two go hand in hand!). A bottle of bubbly may have been involved. Stories were shared, cookies were baked, and encouragement was doled out. And, spontaneously, the pile of overly-ripe bananas sitting on top of my fridge were transformed into a batch of the most delicious muffins I've ever had.



I can't take credit for the recipe, though I did tweak it a bit. I knew from past experience that the secret weapon for ultra-moist muffins and cakes (besides my mom's crushed pineapple trick!) is sour cream. It not only adds a ton of moisture, but it also gives an unmistakable tang, which helps balance out the sweetness. I did a Google search for sour cream banana muffins and I came across this recipe on a blog called The Cookbook Chronicles (now a book, The Newlywed Kitchen). I cut back on the sugar by 1/2 cup and added 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. The end result was fantastic: super moist, flavorful, with just the right balance of ripe banana flavor and tangy sour cream. And best of all, after cutting back on the sugar, they weren't too sweet.

Of course we had to eat one, warm with a pat of butter, right out of the oven. I'm not even going to tell you how good that was - you'll just have to try it for yourselves. Word to the wise: don't attempt this recipe by yourself! You'll want lots of friends around to help you eat them. Being left alone with two dozen of these bad boys could be dangerous even for the most self-disciplined of people. (Luckily, they freeze well...which is exactly what I did with the rest of the batch!)

BANANA MUFFINS WITH SOUR CREAM AND WALNUTS

(Adapted from The Cookbook Chronicles)

Makes 2 dozen muffins; 1 dozen extra-large

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups over-ripe bananas, mashed (about 3 large bananas)
1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two regular-size muffin tins with paper baking cups.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, whisk the oil and sugars together until combined. Stir in the vanilla, bananas, and sour cream. Add in the eggs, one by one, stirring after each addition.

Stir the dry ingredients into the banana mixture until combined. Stir in the walnuts.

Fill each paper cup 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. (If you use the large muffin cups, they'll cook for around 25 minutes. You can also bake this as a loaf of bread; allow about 50 to 60 minutes.)

Let cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before serving. If you want to freeze them, cool completely and place in a Zip-loc freezer bag.

click for recipe & more…

My Favorite (End of) Winter Salad

Not that we've had much of a winter this year (I haven't had to wear my fur boots once!), but there are still certain winter foods that I love. Warming soups and stews, hearty pasta dishes, braised pork over creamy polenta, roasted veggies, and homemade chicken pot pies. But alongside these wintry comfort foods, I like to serve a light, colorful, citrusy salad. A sort of palate cleanser, if you will, to cut through the richness of the main dish. In the summer, I practically live off salads, but in the winter, I like them more as a side dish.

This arugula, radicchio, and fennel salad is my favorite wintry combination–I love the bright colors, the pleasant crunch of the fennel, the peppery bite of the arugula, and the slightly bitter taste of the radicchio. I also like the simple lemon vinaigrette (lemon juice + extra virgin olive oil), and the salty finish of the Parmesan. The walnuts and Parmesan are optional, though both add wonderful flavor and depth.

This salad is simple, delicious, and healthy. And it plays well with other ingredients – try swapping out the lemon juice for orange juice and adding some sliced oranges. Add some toasted hazelnuts in lieu of walnuts and crumbled ricotta salata instead of Parmesan. Or for a light dinner, add a grilled chicken breast or a piece of grilled salmon. Be creative! We don't have much more winter left – it's creeping into the 60's this week in NYC! – so enjoy this salad for the weeks to come.

ARUGULA, RADICCHIO, AND FENNEL SALAD WITH LEMON VINAIGRETTE

Serves 4 to 6

4 cups baby arugula
1 small head radicchio, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped, toasted walnuts (optional)
Freshly grated Parmesan (optional)

Combine the arugula, radicchio, and fennel in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Taste the vinaigrette – feel free to add more lemon juice if you want a more acidic vinaigrette.

Toss the vinaigrette with the salad greens until lightly coated. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and freshly grated Parmesan if desired.

VARIATIONS: This salad is delicious with sliced oranges and toasted hazelnuts (in lieu of walnuts). Try substituting ricotta salata for Parmesan. If you'd like to make this a main dish salad, it is delicious with grilled chicken, shrimp, or salmon. I also love serving this salad as a palate cleanser after a hearty pasta dish or stew.

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It's Your Turn...

Dear friends,

You guys are amazing. Thank you for your incredible support of the The Yellow Table - for reading it, for spreading the word, and for encouraging me along the way. It has been such a joy to have a spot to share my stories and recipes, and to meet so many wonderful people. And, hopefully, as a result, you've been inspired to cook healthy, delicious meals and to spend more time around the table with friends and family. That is my vision for this blog.

It's been six months since the launch of The Yellow Table and we have some exciting things in store. But as we seek to make the site more user-friendly, we want to hear from YOU! I want this blog to be a place you come back to again and again for recipes and inspiration, so could you pretty please take a minute and let me know:

• What you love/dislike about the blog?
• What would you like to see more of – cooking techniques? healthy recipes? easy/quick recipes? entertaining tips? videos?
• Do you find the blog easy to navigate? (Why?)
• Anything else you want me to know...

You can post your feedback in the comment section below or email me at annawatsoncarl@gmail.com. Let me know if you are having problems posting comments – there could be some technical problem we need to fix!

Looking forward to hearing from you all!!

xo
Anna

Q&A with Chef Randall Price

To say Chef Randall Price has led a fascinating life would be an understatement. This incredibly talented chef, writer, and teacher has cooked for presidents, diplomats, and royalty – in embassies, chateaux, and restaurants – and has written a book and a comic book series about (some of) his experiences. American-born, Randall has lived in France for 26 years, and he can thank Eagle Brand condensed milk for getting him over there for the first time (read on for details).


Randall and his entourage (La Varenne, 2006)

I had the privilege of meeting Randall in 2006 when I was a stagiaire ("trainee") at La Varenne. He was working for Anne Willan at the time, as resident chef/instructor at La Varenne and director of their test kitchen. He also had the fun task of managing all of us stagiaires (pictured above!). Randall taught me so many things–how to make gougeres, how to roll out puff pastry, how to make stocks, soups, how to roast a chicken, and how to make a light-as-air soufflé. All basics of French cuisine, but new to me at the time. He also kept us rolling with laughter, with his constant witty commentary. I feel as though I have several years' worth of stories from the six months I spent there.

Years later, Randall is a dear friend and I make sure to catch up with him every time I'm in Paris (he always insists on throwing a dinner party!). He's been busy in recent months, teaching cooking classes in Paris, starring in a new French comic series "Chef & Chat," and traveling to Monterrey, Mexico to cook for the French Food Festival. His new book, Chroniques Culinaires & Caustiques – full of stories from his summers cooking for a countess in an Auvergnat castle – has been a big hit in France and will hopefully make its way to the U.S. in the near future (fingers crossed!). I caught up with Randall recently to hear about his latest adventures in food, his chateau obsession, and why writing a comic strip series about his life is the most fun he's ever had.



Where are you from?

I grew up in Middletown, Ohio. From the age of about 5 I always told people I wanted to go to France when I grew up. My parents had a mural of 1890's Paris on the living room wall and I used to lie on the floor at sunset and imagine being in this elegant place.

When did you first start cooking? What was your first official chef job?

My mother cooked every day when I was growing up and she had the patience to let me 'help.' I especially liked making apple butter and jelly from our orchard in the fall, and making pies and cakes.

I wanted to learn to cook myself during high school, and my girlfriend Nancy helped me make my first souffle when I was about 17. I made her a Napoleon for her birthday, using a Betty Crocker book as my guide. It was edible.

During college I was famous for late-night honey-whole wheat bread and apple pies from scratch. It was during grad school outside New Orleans that I learned about classic French cooking from eating at Antoine's and Galatoire's, and I gave up grading Freshman Writing papers and taught myself to cook from the Julia Child books. Just like that Julie woman, but without internet to exploit!

After a year of cooking I went to a French restaurant with a tarte tatin, soupe au tortue, and fresh croissants. I was hired and worked there as assistant chef for 5 years.

What brought you to France? And how long have you been there?

It was my prize-winning chocolate walnut cake, which won Chocolatier Magazine's first Great Chocolate Challenge, that changed my life. I won a lifetime supply of Eagle Brand condensed milk, many kilos of chocolate, and a trip to La Varenne cooking school in Paris. I've been here for 26 years.

Tell us how you came to be Chef and cooking instructor at Chateau du Fey/La Varenne?

Founder Anne Willan hired me as a 'stagiaire' and I worked for a full year testing recipes for her La Varenne Pratique encyclopedia of cooking. Then I took the professional Grand Diplome course at the school and immediately after was hired as chef for Ambassador Mark Palmer in Budapest, Hungary. I cooked a huge reception for President G.H. Bush before the collapse of the Berlin wall. I had more embassy gigs in Paris, then was chef in a restaurant there and also hosted a program on The Travel Channel before I returned to La Varenne in Burgundy, as resident chef/teacher and director of the testing kitchen. I was there about 12 years.

Tell us a bit about your new book, Chroniques Culinaires & Caustiques.

My condition for returning to La Varenne was that I would be free in the summers to cook for Joy, Countess de Rohan-Chabot at her incredible 1000-year-old castle in Auvergne. I have cooked for her every summer for 19 years, and my book is a collection of stories about my experiences cooking for the upper crust of French society. Joy is an extremely talented artist, working in trompe-l'oeil and also bronze, and she is also related to all the royal houses of Europe. One of her best friends is ex-president Valery Giscard-d'Estaing, who wrote the introduction to my book. Not only have I fed him many times, I have also witnessed him organize a posse before dinner to catch a renegade cow in the village! George Bush could not have done better. My book explores cultural and culinary differences between French and US cultures. It is all about food but without any recipes. There are some ghosts, a lot of cats and spiders, and some amusing stories - all true!

You clearly have a thing for chateaux. Were you a duke in another life?

No, alas, I don't think I was a Duke in a past life. But I may well have been a Duke's cook!

I didn't have a plan to become a chateau chef, but I'm glad it has worked out that way. Some friends call me 'castle man,' as that was also the focus of the TV series I hosted. I am fascinated by history and architecture, so working in so many chateaux has been a real pleasure. For me, nothing is more fulfilling than cooking a refined meal for appreciative guests in an elegant home, in a kitchen that has been a kitchen for hundreds of years - the original cook's fireplace with its still-functioning bread oven, the 19th-century copper pots and pans and dessert molds, the cupboards heaving under the weight of centuries of lead crystal, delicate porcelain, family-crested silver and bolts of antique linens. The setting and service combine with the food I create to make a meal an almost theatrical event. With the countess, there is no snobbery about having such things; it's just part of her family and herself and she loves to entertain people. We work together to give some really wonderful parties!

Tell us about your new comic book series "Chef & Chat."

After the editor of Grand Seigneur magazine interviewed me about my book, he contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in doing a comic-strip cooking feature for the magazine. He said I could do whatever I wanted in terms of the story - as long as the recipes were good. So I met with graphic novel artist Olivier Josso and we decided to base the series on my life at the Chateau de Jozerand - except with a sort of Young Frankenstein aspect to it. The result is Chef & Chat (Cook & Cat). It is my story, but in the comics my assistants are a giant talking black cat named Balthus and a young woman named Meringue, who is always in a bikini. In real life at the chateau I do have a giant black cat who sort-of talks, and my helper Magda is always in a bikini so she can work on her tan, but in the comic we are adding elements of magic and mystery. The first installment just came out, with a story about a boar hunt to feed twenty-five guests stranded at the chateau. The next story will be about evil chickens and souffles.

This is one of the most fun projects I have ever had! And yes the plan is to make a book of the whole series.

Your desserts are phenomenal! Describe a favorite cake that you've made.

My birthday cake this year - which I recently served at a French Food Festival in Mexico - was two layers of giant macarons with fillings of dark chocolate ganache and white chocolate-passionfruit ganache, covered with a silken chocolate glaze and decorated with gold leaf.

You teach cooking classes as well. What sort of classes do you normally teach?

After my book came out I started teaching at La Cuisine Paris, downtown by the Hotel de Ville. The most popular courses at the moment are macarons and souffles. My favorite classes are menus for a full meal. I like to show people dishes that give French food its peerless reputation - dishes based on classics, but with some modern American twists. That's what got me my job with the countess, after all!

If you had to make an impromptu dinner for 8 tonight, what would you make?

To start, a favorite pumpkin soup with curry and coconut milk. It's fast and easy but makes a big impression. I have two bags of cranberries languishing in the refrigerator from the holidays, and I'm wanting to make a chutney. So probably I would make a favorite roast duck breast recipe I've created, marinating the duck in pomegranate, soy sauce and a bit of wasabi. It will be great with cranberry chutney. Stir-fried radicchio with it. My favorite short-notice dessert is a flourless chocolate souffle cake, rolled with whipped cream.

For more information on Chef Randall Price, visit his website or follow him on Twitter @RandallPrice.

CHEF RANDALL PRICE'S MAGRET DE CANARD A L'APICIUS

Serves 4

My version of a dish from a 4th-century cookbook. I love the combination of sweet-hot-salt and the way the marinade caramelizes on the duck skin.

2 boneless duck breasts, weighing about 1 1/2 pounds total
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Nuoc-Nam sauce
2 teaspoons wasabi powder
1/4 cup pomegranate marmalade*
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup dry sherry
1 cup veal stock, or chicken stock

Score the skin of the duck breasts in a cross-hatch pattern, cutting just to the flesh.

Combine the honey, Nuoc-Nam sauce, wasabi powder, marmalade, and soy sauce and pour over the duck breasts. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Remove the duck breasts from the marinade, reserving all the liquid. Place the duck breasts together, skin sides out, and tie securely. (Tying this way before roasting ensures a nice rare center to the meat when you slice it.)

Heat a frying pan with the vegetable oil and add the duck breast. Cook over medium heat, browning the duck slowly on all sides, about 5 minutes. Pour off the excess fat.

Transfer the duck to the hot oven and roast for about 12 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from the oven and allow to rest before slicing.

In a saucepan, boil the sherry and stock and reduce by half. Add the reserved marinade and cook until the liquid has thickened.

Slice the duck breast and place on a serving platter, drizzling the sauce over. Serve immediately.

*Note: To make pomegranate ‘marmalade,’ take one quart of pomegranate juice and boil to reduce to one cup.

click for recipe & more…

Yellow Table Storytelling Dinner #2

This past weekend we hosted our second official storytelling dinner around the yellow table, and what a fun night it was! Our last one was back in the fall, and though we've had a few dinners in between, we hadn't had a proper storytelling night since. If you're new to The Yellow Table, you may be wondering "What is a storytelling dinner?" Well I'm so glad you asked. Our storytelling dinners (inspired by a Moth event I attended last fall) consist of friends (both new and old), sitting around the table, eating good food, drinking wine, and sharing stories. Basically, it's what I hope heaven will be like!



The original storytelling night, our topic was "Firsts," with stories ranging from crazy blind dates to biking accidents and police busts to a creepy ghost-spotting in an abandoned hotel. Everyone had a ball – it was so fun to see a group that only marginally knew each other (and some, not at all), linger over the dinner table well after midnight laughing and talking like old friends. This time, our theme was "Travel" and we heard stories of couch-surfing in Siberia, busking through Italy, and a near lion attack in South Africa. Again, the stories spiraled and we all lingered at the table long past dessert.

I really believe in the power of storytelling to connect and inspire – just think, it's what people sat around and did for thousands of years before there was television or Internet! It's funny, though, how people feel a little uncomfortable with the idea at first. We've all got stories to tell, and though we can post our thoughts and whereabouts on Facebook and Twitter all day long, telling a story with a beginning, middle, and end to a live audience (rather than a virtual one) seems a rather intimidating task. Which is exactly why I think little practice never hurt–especially when everyone ends up having fun in the process!

As for the food, since it was a cool, rainy night, I wanted to make something warm and comforting, preferably a stew that could simmer for hours in my Le Creuset dutch oven while I worked on the other dishes. I finally settled on Melissa Clark's fragrant Braised Pork Shoulder with Tomatoes, Cinnamon, and Olives over Polenta from her newest cookbook Cook This Now. Melissa is pretty much my culinary idol – I love her straightforward, seasonal recipes and her wonderful writing that somehow manages to be both authoritative and chatty all at once. I basically want to go hang out in her kitchen and cook with her after reading any of her recipes. Per usual, this one did not disappoint. The intriguing blend of flavors – sweet canned tomatoes and cinnamon, salty anchovies and olives, dry red wine, and a few sprigs of rosemary – melded together to create a braised pork that was meltingly tender and almost tagine-like in taste.

I served goat cheese crostini with kumquat chutney for starters (since I have all this chutney lying around!), and a nice light arugula, fennel, and orange salad as a palate cleanser after the pork stew. And last, but not least, at the request of my husband – who as the birthday boy got to choose his dessert – I made Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding Cakes inspired by a recipe I found in the New York Times. I made the recipe gluten free and used 60% Bittersweet Valrhona chocolate. The result was decadent. B got a candle in his cake and we ended the night singing happy birthday to him.

I hope you feel inspired to host your own storytelling dinner, and if you do, I'd love to hear about it! My sister hosted one in D.C. and her friends loved it – it would be fun to see the idea spread! But in the meantime, I'm collecting dinner party stories for a future post about your experiences...the good, the bad, and the hysterical. Feel free to comment below or send me an email at annawatsoncarl@gmail.com. Can't wait to hear from you!

February Storytelling Dinner Menu

Goat Cheese Crostini with Kumquat Chutney

Braised Pork Shoulder with Tomatoes, Cinnamon, and Olives with Polenta

Arugula, Fennel, and Oranges with White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding Cakes with Vanilla Gelato (recipe below)

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE PUDDING CAKES

Serves 4

Adapted from New York Time's Diner's Journal February 12, 2009

1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus more to butter the molds
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably Valrhona), cut into small pieces
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Butter four 4-inch ramekins and sprinkle each with a bit of sugar; place them on a sheet tray.

In a small, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the chocolate and whisk constantly until the chocolate begins to melt. Remove from heat and continue whisking until the chocolate is completely melted. Let cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks with the sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly pour the melted chocolate and butter into the eggs, whisking constantly. (You can use electric beaters or a stand mixer if you prefer).

Pour the mixture into the ramekins and bake for about 8 minutes or until the center is beginning to set. The tops will puff up slightly like souffles but the centers will be deliciously soft and gooey. Cut a small hole in the top of each one and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or gelato. Serve immediately in the ramekins, on small dessert plates. (Be careful, they are hot!!)

MAKE AHEAD: You can make the batter and fill the ramekins several hours ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before baking.

Weekend Project: Kumquat & Cranberry Chutney

Chutney is one of those exotic condiments that I've always admired but never made (until recently). I'll eat it at Indian restaurants and I've bought it jarred occasionally when I make Indian food at home. A sticky compote of fruit and spices, it's sort of like a chunkier (and more flavorful) version of jam. It wasn't until I went to La Varenne that I realized you could make chutney from scratch. Actually, we made everything from scratch there, from croissants to stocks to preserves to sticky bottles of fruit liqueurs. My good friend Chef Randall Price, the former head chef and culinary instructor there, loved chutneys and made them out of anything around: nectarines, peaches, and (my personal favorite), kumquats.



I had never before seen this tiny, oval-shaped citrus fruit until I was living in France. About the size of a cherry tomato, kumquats are typically available in grocery stores only in the winter (roughly November through March) and the skin is thin enough that you can pop the whole thing in your mouth. They have an amazing sweet/tart flavor – a bit too strong for me personally when raw, but beautifully aromatic when cooked. I don't remember Randall's chutney recipe, but I remember it being remarkably easy: he just chopped up his ingredients and threw them in a pot, added some spices, and boiled the mixture until it was thick and jam-like. At Chateau du Fey, we ate his chutney all the time: with roast pork and chicken, on sandwiches, and with cheeses. It was the secret weapon that you could pull out of the fridge to make even leftovers taste great.



Despite my love of chutney, I confess, I was still a little intimidated to try it at home. I don't know why...probably because I was I was associating it with jam-making and sterilizing jars and all of that. (Which as it turns out is not even necessary!) It wasn't until a few weeks ago, after buying a box of kumquats at the grocery store that I attempted my first chutney. I found a great recipe on Epicurious.com that I used as a guide, and was shocked at just how simple it was. As in, it took about 30 minutes form start to finish (plus cooling time). And the result, in addition to being absolutely beautiful, was so delicious! I've now made 3 batches in 2 weeks (I think Brandon may be a bit sick of it by now!), serving it with everything from goat cheese crostini (like in the picture above – you may have seen those in the recent Valentine's Day post) to Dijon-roasted loin to grilled chicken to a smoked turkey sandwich. Seriously, this stuff is good on everything.

But if you're going to make it, do it soon! Kumquats are only around for a few more weeks. Make a big batch, give some away in cute little mason jars, and keep the rest in the refrigerator for the next few weeks. You–and your friends–will love it, I promise.

KUMQUAT & CRANBERRY CHUTNEY

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

This makes a beautiful gift in a pretty jar. (But make sure to keep it refrigerated.)

10 ounces kumquats, quartered lengthwise, seeded
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
3 whole star anise*
4 peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 whole cloves

Combine all of the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Let boil for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the kumquat skins have softened and the mixture has thickened. Let cool.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

*I bought these at an Asian grocery store. If you can't fine whole star anise, you can buy ground–just use 1/4 tablespoon. You can also substitute the whole cloves and whole peppercorns for ground if you prefer: use 1/4 teaspoon of each.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: This is a delicious accompaniment for roasted,grilled, or smoked poultry or pork (I especially love it with smoked chicken or roasted pork loin). It's also insanely good with broiled goat cheese crostini, sprinkled with a bit of chopped rosemary.

click for recipe & more…

Buckwheat Galettes with Ham, Cheese, and Egg

Today, my friends, is Fat Tuesday, a.k.a. Pancake Day! I never realized until recently that there was a day designated to eating pancakes, but I suppose it makes sense with Lent starting tomorrow. While living in France, I fell completely in love with crêpes. Paper-thin, the French version of pancakes are delicious for dessert (filled with Nutella or dark chocolate), breakfast (filled with jam), or–if you make a savory batter–lunch or dinner. Traditionally, savory crêpes are called galettes and made with buckwheat flour. With their golden color and delicious nutty flavor, buckwheat galettes are the perfect base for savory fillings like ham, cheese, and egg, smoked salmon and creme fraiche, or my favorite, goat cheese and leeks.

The picture above was taken in Paris at my favorite crêperie, La Crepuscule. I love ordering a piping hot crêpe or galette from the window and taking it to the little park across the street to eat. I love the way the cheese forms crisp tendrils that spill from the top of the galette: pure deliciousness.

These are so easy to make. Just make sure you have either a crêpe pan or a nonstick omelette pan, and allow time for the batter to rest in the fridge before you attempt to cook them. Swirling the pan just right takes a little practice, but don't dispair: you'll get the hang of it after a few tries (and you can always eat your mistakes!). Bon appetit!

BUCKWHEAT GALETTES

Serves 8

2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup buckwheat flour
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If you don't have a blender, whisk the eggs, milk, and water together in a bowl until smooth. Add the flours and salt and whisk to combine. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Strain the batter into another bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour (and up to 24) to allow all the air bubbles to settle.

Heat a small crêpe pan (or nonstick skillet) over medium high heat. Swirl 1 teaspoon of butter in the pan and add a small amount of batter in the pan–swirl the pan so that the batter evenly and thinly coats the bottom. Cook for about 30 seconds (until lightly browned) and flip. Cook for another 10-15 seconds and remove to a plate.

Continue cooking the rest of the batter, adding additional butter every third crêpe or so. Stack the crêpes on a sheet tray and keep warm in a 225 degree F oven until ready to serve.

GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: Use 3/4 cup buckwheat flour and 1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour mixture. Follow the rest of the recipe as written.

BUCKWHEAT GALETTES WITH HAM, CHEESE, AND EGG

Serves 4

4 buckwheat galettes (recipe above)
4 thin ham slices
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyere, Swiss, or Emmenthal cheese
1 tablespoon melted butter
4 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 35o degrees F. Prepare the galettes according to the recipe above. Lay the galettes on a greased baking sheet. Cover each galette with 1/4 cup of cheese and 1 ham slice.

Heat the butter in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and cook for 3 minutes or so, until barely set. Slide one egg on top of the ham and cheese on each each crepe. Season the eggs with a bit of salt and pepper to taste.

Fold the four sides of the crepe over the filling to create a square; the egg yolk should be peeking out the top. (Alternately, fold the crepes in half, over the filling, to make half moons.

Cook in the oven for 8-10 minutes until the cheese has melted and the eggs have cooked through. Serve with a mixed green salad with a simple Dijon vinaigrette.

click for recipe & more…

Into the Woods...

Hope everyone had a fabulous Valentine's Day! I have a friend who told me she cooked the entire V-day meal I posted on the blog, and it made me over-the-moon happy. Let me know if anyone else cooked anything from the menu, and how it turned out!! I love hearing your stories :)

B and I had a great time together. In all honesty, since I had already made the 3-course V-day menu over the weekend, last night we just ate takeout sushi and drank bubbly in our PJ's. And watched New Girl, which we both love. B surprised me with delicious chocolate truffles from Payard, as well as beautiful tulips and some really cool grains and legumes from Gilt Taste...he is too much. I made him his favorite chocolate chip cookies, which he seemed pretty happy with.

Now I'm packing my bags and heading upstate, into the woods for a few days. I'm excited to be surrounded by trees, to sit by a fire, and to enjoy the absence of city noise. Just to be still for a moment. But most of all, I'm looking forward to cooking big pots of soup and braised short ribs and vegetable purees and homemade pizzas all those hearty winter foods that taste better in a cabin, at a big, long cande-lit table. There will be good friends and laughter and music and lots of great food. And hopefully some snow...

I'm going off the grid for the next few days (no cell phone connection, even!) and will hopefully come back inspired and rejuvenated and full of new ideas. Enjoy the rest of your week!

Valentine's Day: Dinner for Two

Let's be honest. Valentine's Day seems a little bit forced (OK a lot!). I'm all for romance, but I don't like being told when it should happen. And I certainly don't associate love with red roses, teddy bears, and heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. For me, romance involves creativity – and an element of surprise. To come home on a random Thursday and find a beautiful bouquet of tulips (which happens to be my favorite flower) on the table would make my week. Or finding a little handwritten love note tucked in my purse, or being served a hot cup of coffee in bed, or getting an unexpected text telling me to put on heels and meet my man out for a glass of bubbly. To me, these little things – done at random – keep the romance alive. And I'm so blessed to have a creative husband who loves surprising me. I have to work hard to keep up!

So for this Valentine's Day, I want to do something special for him. I have no interest in going out to dinner on V-Day with all the cheesy, pre-fixe "aphrodisiac menus" and couples who look, well, bored. Instead, I plan to make a cozy dinner diner à deux at the yellow table. There is nothing more romantic to me than a table set – with fresh flowers and lots of candles – for two. It completely transforms the ambiance of the apartment. Brandon doesn't cook at all, which is fine by me, because I've already got the menu planned!



If you're looking for something special to do for your honey on Tuesday, why not cook him or her dinner? The menu below is delicious, simple, and–obligatory chocolate dessert aside–light and healthy. I tried to pick vibrant colors and flavors, but that wouldn't be overly filling. Because the last thing you want on Valentine's Day is a food coma...trust me!

Menu for 2
(Scroll down for recipes)

• Goat Cheese Crostini with Kumquat Chutney and Rosemary

• Honey Dijon-Glazed Wild Salmon with Frisée, Blood Orange, & Avocado Salad

• Bittersweet Molten Chocolate Cakes with Raspberries and Crème Fraiche

What to drink? Rosé Champagne, of course! (Or crémant, cava, or Prosecco). I just love the pale rosé color–it just seems fitting for Valentine's Day, and you can't get much more celebratory than bubbles!



Don't be intimidated by this menu – it truly is quite simple. Much of it can be prepped in advance, and the dessert can be made the day before and reheated before serving. (Though it definitely tastes best right out of the oven!)

For the crostini, toast some little flatbread rounds (or any type of bread, really) and spread them with goat cheese, a dollop of kumquat chutney (or marmelade), and a sprinkle of chopped rosemary. Five minute appetizer, easy.

For the main course, simply brush some wild salmon with a honey-Dijon-soy glaze and roast it in the oven for about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, toss some frisée (a slightly bitter, curly lettuce) with oranges (I used Cara Cara and blood oranges), avocado, and a citrus vinaigrette.

And for the dessert, these are my favorite little bittersweet chocolate cakes. I know the whole molten chocolate craze has passed, but you really can't get much better than a dark chocolate cake with an ooey-gooey chocolate center. I mean, come on!! Who can say no to that?!



The great thing about these (besides being insanely good) is that you can either a) make the batter in advance, spoon them into souffle dishes, and bake them while you're finishing dinner (this will give you that molten chocolate center) or b) bake them earlier in the day, or even the day before, and just reheat in the microwave for dessert. Option a) tastes better but option b) is easier and still tastes great. So you decide depending on how much time you have.

But honestly, with a homemade dinner, sparkling wine, and candlelight, you kind of can't go wrong – this Tuesday or any day of the week. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

GOAT CHEESE CROSTINI WITH KUMQUAT CHUTNEY AND ROSEMARY

Serves 2

I made my own kumquat chutney and will post that recipe another day. But on V-day, save yourself some time and just buy a jar of good chutney, bitter orange marmelade, or even some fig jam.

4 crostini (can be any type of bread)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons goat cheese
4 teaspoons jarred chutney (or bitter orange marmelade)
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Brush the crostini on both sides with olive oil. Toast for a couple of minutes until light brown. Flip the crostini and top each with a tablespoon of goat cheese. Bake for 3 to 4 minutes or so until the goat cheese begins to soften and the crostini edges are golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Top each crostini with a teaspoon of chutney and sprinkle with a bit of chopped rosemary.

HONEY-DIJON GLAZED WILD SALMON WITH CITRUS FRISEE SALAD

Serves 2

Honey-Dijon Glazed Salmon
2 (4- to 5-ounce) pieces of wild salmon
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 lemon

Citrus Frisee Salad
2 cups friseé, rinsed and dried
1/2 Cara Cara orange, peeled and sliced
1/2 blood orange, peeled and sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon white Balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Arrange the salmon fillets on an an aluminum foil-covered baking sheet, skin-side down. Season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together the cayenne, mustard, soy sauce, and honey. Brush the top of the salmon filets with the glaze.

Cut two thin slices of lemon and place one on each piece of salmon. (Reserve the extra lemon.) Bake for 12 minutes or until just cooked through.

Meanwhile, make the salad. Toss the frisé, orange slices, and avocado slices. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, vinegar, and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Remove the salmon from the oven and squeeze with the juice from the remaining wedge of lemon. Toss the salad with the vinaigrette and serve each place with a piece of salmon and some salad.

BITTERSWEET MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKES

Serves 2

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon butter
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Kahlua (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450°F and butter two 3/4-cup souffle dishes. (NOTE: You can also make these in muffin tins–just butter 4 muffin cups and bake for slightly less time, about 8 to 9 minutes.)

In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

In a medium better, whisk together the egg and egg yolk. Add the sugar, then the chocolate mixture and flour, whisking until smooth. (Whisk in the Kahlua, if desired). Divide the batter into two dishes. (If you are making them in advance, just cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to bake them).

Bake for about 10 to 11 minutes (a few minutes longer if the batter was refrigerated) until the tops of the cakes have puffed up slightly and the center is still runny. Run a knife around the edges and quickly turn the cakes onto two plates. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with creme fraiche (or vanilla ice cream) and raspberries. Serve immediately so you get the chocolate gooeyness!

click for recipe & more…

Crispy Pork Schnitzel with Mixed Greens

I remember the first time I tried schnitzel. It was in Heidelberg, Germany, on a sunny day in May, 2001. I was studying abroad in Paris at the time, and was visiting a German friend for the weekend. Her parents took us to a lovely restaurant for lunch and I remember sitting outside on the terrace, eating a thin, crisply fried piece of veal served with a lemon wedge and a green salad. Her parents ordered a bottle of wonderful German white wine, and even though I was barely 21, I felt terribly grown up.

It was eight years before I tried schnitzel again. I was living in New York, and a colleague told me that her husband had just started a new food truck called Schnitzel & Things. Of course, I was intrigued. The memory of that golden fried cutlet had stuck with me all those years and I couldn't wait to try it again.

Once again, I was entranced. Only this time, instead of sitting on a sunny terrace, I stood outside a truck in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, and ate off a plastic plate. But it was so delicious I didn't care. I got to sample multiple types of schnitzel: pork, chicken, and cod, plus all sorts of delicious side dishes, like Austrian potato salad, cucumber salad, and red cabbage slaw. I loved Schnitzel & Things so much that I wrote about them for Tasting Table.



A couple years passed and I finally decided it was time to attempt my own schnitzel at home. How hard could it possibly be? You just pound some meat, dip it in egg, dip it in bread crumbs, and fry it. Easy, right? As it turns out, it is WAY easy. And tastes so incredibly good that it seems like you should have slaved away for hours. I've made it now a half dozen times or so, and have done a little experimentation to get the maximum flavor. I'm not a big veal fan in general, so I stick with pork, and thanks to a tip I read in Bon Appetit, I marinate the cutlets in red wine vinegar before frying them. I also use Panko – the larger, Japanese-style breadcrumbs – to give the schnitzel an extra crunch, and I add thyme and lemon zest for flavor.

Served with a lemon wedge and a simple green salad (and, if you really wanted to be authentic, a warm potato salad), this dish is simple, elegant, and unbelievably good. It's comfort food at it's best, preferably in the winter or spring. Plus, considering all the pounding required, it's a great stress reliever. So pour yourself a glass of Gruner Veltliner and get out that meat tenderizer. You'll feel like a new person in no time.

PORK SCHNITZEL WITH MIXED GREENS

Serves 4

2 (5-ounce) boneless pork chops
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons olive oil

4 to 5 cups of mixed baby greens
Juice from 1/2 lemon
3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Lemon wedges to serve

Using a sharp knife, cut each pork chop in half lengthwise. Place the four pieces of pork in Ziploc bag (or a bowl) and cover with the red wine vinegar. Seal the bag (or cover the bowl with plastic wrap) and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. (In a pinch, you can marinate it for 30 minutes).

Remove the pork from the red wine vinegar and pat dry with paper towels; discard the vinegar.

Place the pork slices between two sheets of plastic wrap of wax paper and gently pound to 1/4-inch thickness, using the flat side of a meat tenderizer.

Place the eggs in a shallow bowl. In a separate shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the lemon zest and thyme leaves; season with salt and pepper.

One at a time, dip the pork cutlets in the egg, then dip into the bread crumb mixture. Place the breaded pork cutlets on a plate and place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to let the crumb mixture adhere to the meat.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Gently add two cutlets to the pan (be careful of the hot oil!!) and let cook for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove the cutlets to a paper-towel lined plate and finish cooking the remaining two cutlets.

Place the salad greens in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice and the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Taste the salad and feel free to add more lemon juice or olive oil, according to your tastes.)

SERVE the schnitzel hot, garnished with a lemon wedge and mixed greens. This is delicious with a blonde beer or a crisp Austrian white wine like a Pinot Gris or Gruner Veltliner.

click for recipe & more…

A Night to Remember...

The smile says it all.

When 12 friends crowd into a tiny NYC apartment to celebrate the birthday of a dear friend, to squeeze onto couches and borrowed chairs and share a meal around a beautiful table (that you’d never guess had been found, discarded on the street that day), with story-telling and laughter and much toasting, something magical happens. It’s as though time is suspended. You get a glimpse of something bigger than this life – a hint of how things should be, a taste of what we long for. Through the candlelit glow, smiles seems brighter, friendships deeper, and though you may not even remember what you ate the next day, that night you could swear it was the best thing you had ever tasted. We need more of these evenings. These are the sweet times. The birthday girl summed it up best:

“I was given the rare and beautiful gift of knowing just how precious a moment is when you are right in the middle of it. Many, many times throughout the evening, I looked around the table with amazement. My life, just as it is, is one I love. The gifts before me – dear friends, good food, and abundant laughter – were more than enough. My cup overflows.”



This fabulous and festive occasion – which I had the privilege of being a part of – was the 30th birthday of my lovely friend Rachel Carter. The party took place at her apartment last weekend and between her beautiful "Winter White Theme" (check out her table decor above), delicious menu (she planned, I cooked), and fantastic friends, it really was an epic evening. The party was beautifully documented by the ultra-talented photographer Sara Beth Turner (that's her, whipping off the Champagne cork below!), who just happens to be one of Rachel's three roommates. Sara Beth has such a gift for capturing the essence of a moment with her photos. Her shots, especially these black and white ones, really portray the spirit of the evening, and I am so honored to feature her photography on The Yellow Table. Thanks SB!



Rachel, being quite the hostess, made up a variety of snacks for people to munch on when they arrived: prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, white bean dip and crudités, spicy nuts with rosemary, and a few cheeses with fig jam and crackers. Everyone packed into the kitchen and sipped on bubbly while I finished up the cooking.

The birthday gal had chosen the menu in advance ("I wanted to to have a menu I'd be excited to have at someone else's dinner party," she said): roasted salmon with a Champagne dill sauce, roasted new potatoes with olive oil and sea salt, and a simple green salad with cucumbers and lemon vinaigrette. The menu was flavorful and light, and was so easy to throw together right before the party.

For dessert, Rachel really something decadent (it was her 30th after all!) and wanted to try making a tiramisu. I insisted on making it – the birthday girl shouldn't make her own cake! – and I had so much fun making it into a round birthday shape (using a springform pan) rather than a traditional rectangle. I changed up the classic recipe a bit, eliminating the raw egg yolks, and using Kahlua in place of the marsala wine. I also used a mix of chocolate and vanilla lady fingers, which not only tasted great, but made for a beautiful presentation. (Recipe coming soon!)



But where Rachel really went all out was on the decor – I'll let her tell you about her theme:

"I was inspired by a favorite blogger of mine, Joanna Goddard from Cup of Jo, who threw a "recession chic" dinner party several years ago. The decor from her party was winter white with lots of candles, snow, a birch bark log, and of course, flowing red wine! I liked the winter white theme (mixed in with a healthy dose of glitter!) because it's easy to find white Christmas decor on sale, and white is usually inexpensive and readily available. As I envisioned it all coming together and procured supplies, my selections took on a more "Narnia~like" quality. This seemed the perfect vision of a magical, wintry, outdoor place. Honestly, though, I didn't know how well it would come together until we started lighting the candles..."



Rachel just so happened to find the perfect log for the centerpiece the weekend before in Vermont, which she lugged home and spray painted white. She also found a mirror on the street (gotta love NYC!) which she used as the base for the centerpiece, garnished with some berries and ferns from Michael's. She pulled the whole look together with piles of glittery white fake snow ("to cover all the ugly edges!"). Rachel's a kindergarten teacher, so she's especially gifted at crafts. She made the snowflakes pictured above, which she hung from the ceiling above the table. Truly, a winter wonderland...



I love this picture of Rachel and me in the kitchen pre-party...we had so much fun plotting and scheming about this night, and I'm so glad it all came together so well. Here's to many more dinner parties...!!

The rest of the pictures don't need much in the way of explanation. They pretty much speak for themselves. The evening was magical, and I am so grateful for the friendships – old and new – that were represented here. And most of all, I'm grateful for Rachel, her friendship, generosity, creativity, and zest for life. It's contagious. Happy Birthday!









A special thanks to:

The birthday gal: Rachel Carter
Photographer: Sara Beth Turner
Everyone else who made this evening so special!

BIRTHDAY TIRAMISU

Serves 12

Coming soon...!

click for recipe & more…

Healthy Living: An Energy-Boosting Salad for Winter

If there's one thing I've realized as I've gotten older it's this: food has a lot to do with my energy level. Obviously, sleep does, too, and a host of other factors, but what I eat is a big part of the equation. For years, my low-energy solution was a coffee and some sort of sugary baked good (more than likely a chocolate chip cookie). The only problem was, after the sugar rush, I immediately felt miserable as my energy–and mood–crashed.

Recently, as we've been trying to eat more healthfully, I've been paying attention to blood sugar levels. Instead of eating three big meals a day, I'm eating smaller meals, packed with vegetables and fruits and proteins. And my snacks in between–rather than cookies or pastries–usually consist of roasted almonds or sprouted toast with avocado or a piece of fruit with some almond butter. I'm realizing that the more steadily I eat, the more energy I have. And most importantly of all, the less sugar I eat, the better I feel. Period. As a former sweets ADDICT, it's amazing that I can admit this. But I really love the way I feel without it, so bring on the nuts, fruits, and veggies!

One of my favorite things as a cook is to throw together a meal based on what's inside my fridge. (I know, I know...for some people, that's your worst nightmare!) I like the challenge and actually, some of my best dishes have been inspired this way. I went scavenging in my fridge the other day, and found a bag of baby spinach, some roasted chicken breasts (cooked the day before), some leftover quinoa, and some chickpeas. And given that citrus fruits are amazing right now–especially my favorite, Cara Cara oranges–I threw in a couple of oranges for good measure. I tossed it all together, along with a tangy vinaigrette made with white Balsamic vinegar, and the result was a salad as beautiful as it was flavorful. And best of all, I felt like a million bucks afterward. I'll take feeling this good over a cookie any day.

SPINACH SALAD WITH QUINOA, CHICKEN, CHICKPEAS AND ORANGES

Serves 4 to 6

2 oranges (I especially love Cara Cara)*
6 ounces baby spinach (about 6 cups)
3/4 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
1/2 cup chick peas, drained and rinsed
2 chicken breasts (roasted or grilled), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons white Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Using a sharp knife, cut off the ends of each orange so they can sit flat on a cutting board. With smooth, downward strokes, cut the skin off the orange in sections, so you are removing the white pith and can see the orange flesh beneath. Once the skin is removed, pick up an orange and hold it over a large bowl. Carefully cut each section out of the orange in between the membranes, so you're just getting the fruit and none of the pith or membrane. Let each slice drop in the bowl (along with the juices); repeat with the other orange. Discard the peels and the membranes.

Add the spinach, quinoa, chick peas, and chicken to the oranges; toss gently to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together the white Balsamic vinegar and olive oil until smooth; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine. Season the salad with additional salt and pepper if you'd like.

SERVING SUGGESTION: This salad is delicious with avocado slices, thinly sliced red onions, or crumbled ricotta salata or feta. Or serve with avocado toast: smashed avocado mixed with lemon juice, sea salt, and red pepper flakes on toasted whole grain bread.

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Creamy Parmesan Polenta with Sausage Ragu

Polenta is one of those cozy, wintry foods that just spell pure comfort to me. Maybe it’s because they remind me of the grits of my childhood, or maybe it’s because they pair so easily with hearty sauces–like wild mushroom or braised rabbit–or a rustic sausage-and-tomato ragu. Polenta in restaurants can easily be a butter- and cheese-laden affair, but in its truest form, it’s just cornmeal, water, and salt. I like adding some Parmesan and extra-virgin olive oil, but you don’t need to overdo it, the flavor is great on its own.

I made this meal last weekend, on a particularly cold Saturday, and channeled the Italian grandmother I never had. Snug and warm in our cozy apartment, with the polenta and the sauce simmering away on the stovetop, and a glass of red wine in hand, everything seemed right with the world. When the cooking was done, I lit some candles, set the table, turned on some jazz, and enjoyed a night in with my man. On a winter's night, there's nowhere I'd rather be.

Oh, one last thing. This dish needs some green and it’s particularly good with either sauteed Swiss Chard or Broccoli Rabe with Pine Nuts and Golden Raisins. You can’t go wrong with either. This also makes a fabulous dinner party dish. Make the sauce the day before (the flavors will be even better), then make the polenta and greens just before the party. Your friends will swoon. Enjoy!

CREAMY PARMESAN POLENTA

Serves 4

4 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup polenta (not quick-cooking) or yellow corneal (5 ounces)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for grating on top

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Once the mixture is boiling, slowing add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Whisk for 2 minutes then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, whisking every 10 minutes or so. The mixture should be thick and creamy, sort of like grits (if you're from the South you know what I mean!). Remove from the heat and whisk in the olive oil and Parmesan. Taste and add a little salt if you need to. Serve immediately.

*If you have leftover polenta and try to reheat it the next day, you will notice that it is very stiff–almost congealed. You can either a) cut it into little wedges and fry them up for some delicious polenta fritters OR b) put the cold polenta in a pot and a little boiling water (start with 1/4 cup and add more if you need to). Whisk the mixture together over medium heat until it reaches the desired consistency.

SAUSAGE RAGU

Serves 4

2 all-natural fresh Italian sausages (I bought mine at the Whole Foods meat counter)
1 small red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Remove the sausages from their casings (just make a slit on one end and sort of squeeze the meat out). Cook the sausage in a large pot over medium heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon so it resembles ground beef. Cook for 10 minutes or so until cooked through and no pink remains. Remove the sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon onto a paper-toweled lined plate. Set aside. Pour out all but a tablespoon of sausage grease from the pot.

Add the onion to the pot and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, stirring for a minute or so until it is softened and fragrant (do not let brown). Add the tomatoes, crushing with the back of a spoon. (WARNING: this can be messy, as the tomatoes tend to squirt, so wear an apron! For a cleaner preparation, pour the tomatoes into a bowl in advance and crush the whole tomatoes with your hands. Then pour the mixture, liquid and all, into the pot.)

Let the mixture come to a boil; reduce the heat and let simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes. Check periodically and if it seems dry, add some water.

Stir in the sausage,Balsamic vinegar, and basil and let cook for a minute or two over low heat. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper. This is delicious with polenta or any type of pasta.

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Gluten-Free Blue Cornmeal Waffles

Hello friends! I know it's been awhile since I posted–this month has been a bit crazy juggling a month-long freelance job (with regular office hours!), writing assignments, and normal life stuff (like cooking for 50 for a friend's birthday). Last weekend I snuck away for a much-needed little getaway to Jamaica with my man (will post pictures soon...it was heavenly!). All of this has kept me a tad busy and I find myself having to choose between blogging and, say, showering. Sorry, my sense of hygiene won out this week...



This weekend we got our first snow in NYC (hooray!) and it's been so nice to stay inside and try out some recipe ideas I've been kicking around. It's been awhile since we've had a chill weekend at home with just B, me, and the kitties, so I decided to revive our Saturday brunch tradition and break out the waffle iron (which, for the record, has been one of our favorite wedding gifts). We have one of the round ones, the kind that makes thinner, slightly crisp waffles. I'm not huge on the thick Belgian waffles, but you could still make this recipe with a Belgian waffle-maker if you have one.

Last year, when some friends of ours were cleaning out their pantry before a move, they gave us some gluten-free blue cornmeal pancake and waffle mix. Even though we're not gluten-free, we tried it and loved it. Once it ran out, I wanted to try and recreate my own version from scratch. I found a recipe for Blue Cornmeal Waffles on Food Network's website which I used a guide, though I substituted regular flour for gluten-free, since we are trying to eat less gluten right now. I also cut back on the sugar and butter, and added some cinnamon (a suggestion from my taste-tester husband).

The result was fantastic. I don't think I've ever seen B more excited about a breakfast before! We both loved the nutty flavor of the blue cornmeal, the buttermilk gave it a tangy taste and a tender consistency, and best of all, you would NEVER know these were gluten-free.

The great thing about this recipe is that it's SO adaptable. If you're not gluten-free, just use regular all-purpose flour in place of the gluten-free flour. If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding a teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of regular milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes or so, until it curdles, and carry on with the recipe. If you want to make it dairy-free, just substitute a non-dairy milk (almond, rice, or soy) and use vegetable oil instead of the butter. I will say, this will change the taste and consistency some–the buttermilk really makes these waffles out of this world–but they're still good without. And last, if you want to make this totally vegan, follow the dairy-free instructions and use egg substitute for the eggs.

I am so thrilled to have a waffle recipe that is as delicious as it is healthy. (Sure, the side of bacon isn't the healthiest option, but we buy the farm-raised, nitrate-free version...all in moderation!) I love adding fresh berries and sliced bananas to these waffles and a drizzle of maple syrup (or honey). These are definitely a brunch keeper, snow-day or not.

GLUTEN-FREE BLUE CORNMEAL WAFFLES

Makes 6 waffles

3/4 cup organic blue cornmeal
3/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon organic sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for brushing griddle

Preheat your waffle maker.

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour the buttermilk into a liquid measuring cup and add the eggs; whisk together until combined. Add the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients, along with the butter; whisk until smooth.

Brush your waffle maker with about a teaspoon of butter and add 1/3 cup of batter. Cook about 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly golden (I just wait until my waffle maker's green light comes on, signaling it's done). Serve with butter, maple syrup (or honey) and whatever topping strikes your fancy: berries, sliced bananas, toasted pecans...whatever you like!

If you have a cinnamon grinder (which you can buy in the spice section of the grocery store), grind some cinnamon on top just before eating-that makes it even better!

DAIRY-FREE VERSION: Substitute almond, rice, or soy milk for the buttermilk, and vegetable (or coconut) oil for the butter. If you want to make it totally vegan, use egg substitute in place of the eggs.

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Part II: Flatbread Pizzas with Broccoli Rabe Pesto

As you can tell, I’m still on a broccoli rabe kick. Though it’s available year-round, winter is when this bitter, leafy green vegetable tastes best–and when I crave it the most. Usually I just sauté it in some garlic and olive oil, but recently I decided to try making pesto out of it. I love fresh basil pesto in the summer–its bright green color, intense garlicky-herb-Parmesan flavor, and its versatility. You can put it on pizza, drizzle on a salad, stir into soup, or toss with pasta. But given basil’s not in season, I thought broccoli rabe would be a perfect substitute.

As long as you have a blender, food processor, or even an immersion blender, this recipe is a piece of cake. Blanch the rabe (quickly boil until bright green, plunge into ice water to stop the cooking) then throw it in a blender with the usual pesto ingredients: garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and olive oil. I added a few red pepper flakes and some fresh lemon juice for an added kick, and of course salt and pepper (which, I found you need to use quite a lot of). You can play around with this recipe if you like–try swapping the pine nuts for walnuts or pistachios, or adding more lemon or red pepper. Or you can make a vegan version by eliminating the Parmesan (though you'll have to play around with the proportions...I've heard you can add nutritional yeast as a substitute).

Once you have your pesto made (which only takes 15 minutes or so), you can keep it in the fridge to use in all sorts of dishes. Try dolloping it on crostini with Parmesan shavings for a rustic appetizer. Or you can make these fantastic flatbread pizzas (recipe below), topped with sausage and feta cheese.



Or, add the broccoli rabe pesto to your favorite pasta: boil the pasta according to the package instructions, drain, and save about 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Depending on how many people you are feeding, add 1/4 cup or so of the pesto to the pasta, along with some of the cooking water, and toss together–you'll have an instant sauce! I love adding in some sausage to the rabe pesto pasta or if I want a vegetarian dish, I'll just top with some freshly grated Parmesan, roasted grape tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts. Not only is this so easy and delicious, it's a great way to sneak some extra vegetables into your diet...which is always a good thing!

BROCCOLI RABE PESTO

Makes about 2 cups

1 bunch broccoli rabe, woody ends removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup ground Parmesan (feel free to use more if you like)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 to 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water and place it next to the pot.

Working in batches, boil the broccoli rabe for 3 to 4 minutes or until bright green and softened. Plunge instantly into the ice water to stop the cooking; drain and squeeze dry.

Roughly chop the rabe and add to a blender or food processor (if using an immersion blender, just put all ingredients in a large bowl). Add the garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice and pulse several times to combine. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil until it reaches the desired consistency. (It should be sort of like a thick sauce). Season generously with salt and pepper–I found I needed over 1 tsp of salt and about 1/2 tsp pepper. Just be sure to taste and adjust as you go.)

Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator–it should last for 3 to 4 days.

FLATBREAD PIZZAS WITH BROCCOLI RABE PESTO, SAUSAGE, AND FETA

Makes 4

4 whole-wheat flatbreads (or naan breads)
Broccoli rabe pesto (recipe above)
2 nitrate-free sausages (either pre-cooked or raw, made from lamb, chicken, duck, or pork)
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half (optional)
Crumbled feta (about 1/2 cup)
Olive oil for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Place the flatbreads on a baking sheet. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the pesto on each flatbread, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the edges.

If you are using pre-cooked sausage, slice it and arrange the pieces over the pesto. If you are using raw sausage, cook it for 7-8 minutes on the stove top and add the cooked sausage to the pizza. (If you are vegetarian, eliminate the sausage and substitute for grape tomatoes). Sprinkle each pizza with a couple tablespoons of crumbled feta.

Drizzle each pizza with a bit of olive oil and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the crust is brown and the cheese is beginning to melt. Let cool for a few minutes, then slice into pieces and serve.

I love serving this with a wintry salad of arugula, radicchio, endive, and thinly sliced fennel with a citrus vinaigrette.

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