Posted by Lucy Baker, May 8, 2008 at 1:30 PM
I have a vivid childhood memory of watching my mother and grandmother make deviled eggs together in the kitchen: peeling the shells under the cold faucet, mashing the yolks with lots of mayonnaise and even more paprika. Perhaps that’s why I choose Devilish Eggs with Texas Tapenade for today's Cook the Book recipe—to my mind, it's the perfect Mother's Day hors d'oeuvre.
Paula Disbrowe, chef and author of Cowgirl Cuisine, updates this classic appetizer by topping Dijon-infused eggs with dollops of tapenade made with kalamata olives, fresh rosemary, a hint of pequin peppers, and a splash of Cognac. Best of all, the tapenade can be prepared up to a week ahead, and leftovers are delicious on slices of toasted baguette, or as a topping for burgers.
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Posted by Lucy Baker, May 5, 2008 at 2:15 PM
I know it's only Monday, but I'm already looking forward to next weekend's brunch. What could be better than a meal where it's practically required to eat bacon and drink bloody marys? Today's Cook the Book recipe, the first to be excerpted from Cowgirl Cuisine, is for author Paula Disbrowe's own take on the classic dish of huevos rancheros.
Her version is spiced with serrano chiles and sherry wine vinegar, and served with a shower of freshly grated cheese, fragrant cilantro, and slices of creamy avocado. The best part? The recipe makes enough sauce for 8 servings and reheats beautifully, so you can prepare it for you mom on Mother's Day and still have enough leftover for a few extra-special weekday breakfasts.
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Posted by Ed Levine, April 20, 2008 at 8:30 AM
Passover always puts me in a Moonstrips frame of mind. What are Moonstrips? They're onion and poppy-flavored matzos made by Streit's and they are the tastiest matzos ever. They don't make a kosher for Passover version, but this matzo brei (matzo pancake-style omelet) tastes good any time of the year. This particular matzo brei recipe is adapted from The Jewish Holiday Kitchen by Joan Nathan.
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Posted by Blake Royer, April 10, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Migas is the Spanish word for crumbs, and refers to the leftover bread originally used in this traditional Spanish dish, which was crumbled and sautéed in olive oil, perhaps with garlic or onion, sometimes peppers, and topped with a fried egg or two. Somewhere on its way from Spain to Mexico, the bread was replaced with leftover tortillas, cheese was added, and the eggs became scrambled to make this version, a Tex Mex tradition. But the name, migas, hung on. The version I made, from the Saralegui family's cookbook Our Latin Table, was creamy and satisfying, a twist on scrambled eggs imbued with the corny flavor of crumbled tortilla chips.
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Posted by Ed Levine, March 30, 2008 at 8:00 AM
I don't know what it is, but lately I've been thinking a lot about my dear departed friend Johnny Apple. Eating with Johnny was a fantastic experience. He loved food and wine and life and politics and a zillion other things equally. He loved a perfectly char-grilled bratwurst as much as he loved foie gras.
His love of perfectly executed humble foods extended to scrambled eggs. But not just any scrambled eggs. Nah, Johnny had standards. The scrambled eggs that he loved the most are made at Bill's Cafe in Sydney, Australia. These eggs call for a half cup of cream per two eggs, but I have found that a quarter cup will still result in the best scrambled eggs ever. When I want to make a special breakfast for my wife, I turn to these eggs, which I always refer to as Johnny Apple's Crazy Creamy, Crazy Good Scrambled Eggs.
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Posted by Lucy Baker, March 18, 2008 at 2:15 PM
When I have a craving for a really decadent dish—macaroni and cheese, say, or rice pudding—I prefer to make it for myself as opposed to ordering it in a restaurant. This is for two reasons: first, I think that rich, comforting foods are best enjoyed at home; second, when I am the cook, I am in control of the specific ingredients and the portion sizes. The end result is, I believe, always a little bit healthier.
For this week's magazine recipe review I made the orecchiette carbonara with leeks from the April issue of Bon Appétit. Spaghetti carbonara is something I would never eat out, for fear of popping a button off my pants in public. There is just no way to tell how much butter, oil, and bacon fat is being used. I was drawn to the version in Bon Appétit because it didn't use heavy cream (unlike some less traditional carbonaras), and because it called for fresh, seasonal leeks. Also, I happened to have a lot of eggs on hand.
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Posted by Gina DePalma, March 18, 2008 at 8:30 AM
Eggs are essential ingredients in Italian Easter celebrations, playing a role that extends beyond the huge, elaborately decorated chocolate eggs that decorate every shop window in the weeks before the holiday.
Eggs were a symbol of new birth and renewal for many of the ancient civilizations predating the Christian era, when they were adopted as a representation of the resurrection of Christ. They evolved as part of the traditional Easter feast partly because they were one of the foods originally forbidden to have during Lent. These traditions are still intact today, ingrained in the mind, heart, and stomach; each region of Italy has its own special recipes for consuming eggs on Easter.
Romans are likely to enjoy a light first course of Brodetto Pasquale at their Easter table, the local version of a soup that features eggs as well as lamb, another iconic Easter food.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, March 4, 2008 at 3:15 PM
Today's recipe from this week's featured cookbook, Panini Express is for a Ham, Brie, and Apple French Toast Panini. Apologies in advance for going for another ham-and-cheese variation. I was halfway through preparing this recipe when I realized I'd just done a similar sandwich yesterday. I couldn't resist this one, though, because I've been a fan of the ham-brie-apple combo since discovering it a few years ago. Add the French toast, I thought, and this recipe's a knockout.
As I found out, this recipe really is a knockout. You're essentially taking some fairly rich items—brioche, eggs, and brie—and combining them in a hot, pressed-sandwich package. It's a lot to take in, and I was pretty much "game over" a half a sandwich in. It might be the kind of sandwich you could cook up on a lazy weekend for brunch and serve as halves to family or friends with some fruit or a salad.
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Posted by Nick Kindelsperger, March 3, 2008 at 4:15 PM
I must have downed dozens of variations on this dish over the past couple years, and I’ve loved nearly everyone. Because chorizo is highly spiced and ready to go from the outset, it’s a no-fuss, quick-to-the-plate breakfast standard in my household. Some people like their breakfast dishes sweet and delicate, but not me. I’m as starved as a lumberjack before 10 a.m.—at least on the weekends—and the combination of eggs and chorizo never fails.
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Posted by Ed Levine, March 2, 2008 at 8:00 AM
Even the creamiest scrambled eggs aren't exactly loaded with flavor, so when I came across this Nancy Silverton and Mark Peel recipe for scrambled eggs with porcini mushrooms, I got very excited.
Dried porcini mushrooms are one of those flavor intensifiers I crave especially when I'm watching my weight. These eggs get their desired creaminess through constant stirring and serving them immediately.
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Posted by Blake Royer, February 28, 2008 at 4:30 PM
I am going to start cooking more frittatas—they are quite affable about taking whatever leftovers you throw at them, without complaining. Meat, cheese, vegetables, the egg will wrap it all in its creamy self. With luck, it will taste fine warm or even at room temperature the next day. It's like a quiche with no bother about making a crust, or an omelet with no flipping.
This particular recipe comes from Orangette, which I found by kicking around the Internet while looking for what to do with some lacinato kale—also known as black tuscan kale, cavolo nero, dinosaur kale—which was getting droopy in my fridge. Lacinato is a darker, less woody version of the leafy green monster, but you can use regular kale with similar results. Though I'm used to steaming it, this recipe eschews moisture for long, low cooking, which allows deep caramelization and flavor to develop while the kale maintains some crunch. It was a nice contrast to sharp cheddar and the soft eggs, though I definitely cooked my frittata a bit too long, so it lacked creaminess. Overcooking is easy to do, so watch out.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, February 25, 2008 at 2:30 PM
Which came first—the chicken or the egg? Well, since we've already highlighted an adapted version of Simon Hopkinson's Roast Chicken recipe, I guess we've already ended that discussion. To play catch-up, today's featured recipe is for Oeufs en Meurette, essentially "eggs in gravy," as Hopkinson says his mother once described the dish. "[She] thought it disgusting. I love it," he says.
And, if you're just now tuning in, be aware that we're giving away five (5) copies of this book this week. Enter here to win »
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Posted by Blake Royer, February 21, 2008 at 4:45 PM
After making Avgolemono a few weeks ago, I've been on the lookout for myriad ways that eggs and chicken stock can be combined to make soup. As sickness comes and goes and the cold of winter makes nothing more appealing than a bowl of chicken soup, new ideas are always welcome. In the case of Avgolemono, whipped eggs whites and lemon juice gave the soup an appealing lightness and acidity, while the result was still rich and chickeny. So when I was flipping through Mario Batali's Molto Italiano
, this recipe caught my eye for its similarity and simplicity.
It's also a little easier to pull off. Freshly grated nutmeg replaces the lemon juice and Parmesan cheese adds complexity and a round flavor. Chopped parsley goes in for freshness, and a little bit of semolina (pasta) flour to thicken. All you need to do is combine the ingredients with a bit of cold chicken stock, then whisk that into boiling hot stock over low heat. The egg breaks up into little "shreds" (stracciatelle), the Parmesan disappears into the broth, and the result is comfort food.
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Posted by Ed Levine, February 17, 2008 at 8:00 AM
Finding good brunch dishes when you're trying to watch your weight is not easy, so I was thrilled to come across this delicious scrambled egg recipe in The Breakaway Cook, by Eric Gower. Once I added in an ounce of grated sharp cheddar as a flavor intensifier these eggs totally rocked.
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Posted by Robin Bellinger, February 11, 2008 at 1:00 PM
Despite the fact that I’ve cut back on meat in the past few years, it rarely occurs to me to turn to eggs as a source of protein. As part of my effort to liberate them from my mental breakfast ghetto, I’d like to share with you a Spanish tortilla (potato omelet) that makes a lovely dinner for two with enough for two lunches left over. So full of potatoes it hardly tastes eggy at all, this substantial dish is good when it’s hot but, by my lights at least, even better at room temperature. (This makes it wonderful to serve guests for brunch, too, since you can have everything ready before anyone arrives without worrying about timing and temperature.)
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Posted by Ed Levine, February 10, 2008 at 8:00 AM
Adapted from At Home: Two Chefs Cook for Family and Friends by Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton. Think of this dish as a delicious savory pudding instead of a soufflé. It's easy to make, much sturdier than it sounds, and utterly delicious.
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Posted by Blake Royer, February 8, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Apparently, people are clamoring for Avgolemono, a lemony Greek chicken soup, judging from the 62 reviews for the Epicurious recipe available online, which has a respectable three-fork rating. Personally, I don't have memories of slurping this soup down in some Greek diner on my corner, but many do, especially in Chicago, and they all want a good recipe. The only problem is that actually reading these abundant reviews (a post on Too Many Chefs lead me there) reveals a shake-up: the Epicurious recipe is disparaged as inauthentic. Hardly anyone likes it. Instead, a mysterious cook known only as "Boston, MA" who left a comment in 2002, is repeatedly praised as the provider of an "OUTSTANDING," "SUPER" and "MUCH better" recipe than the original—and many people provide high ratings for her recipe instead. It's just a quick paragraph and comes from the author's experience watching her Yia Yia (grandmother) make it when she was a child. It involves 5 ingredients, including pepper.
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Posted by Ed Levine, February 3, 2008 at 8:52 AM
Though this twelve egg frittata, from the fertile culinary imaginations of Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton, is a great brunch dish, it can also easily be served throughout your Super Bowl gathering, because it's good warm, at room temperature, or chilled. So your guests can serve themselves before the game, at the half, and even right at the end when Lawrence Tynes is kicking his game-winning field goal.
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Posted by Ed Levine, January 27, 2008 at 8:35 AM
People go crazy over this simple when my friend and co-author David Pasternack makes this dish at his restaurant Esca, with good reason. It's crazy good. Try to get the freshest possible eggs, with big yellow yokes. Dave use milk instead of cream because the cream makes the eggs too heavy. The key to this dish is sauteeing the seafood first and then adding the eggs to scramble them in the same pan. This dish can also be made with rock shrimp or lobster and it will come out just as delicious (and it is delicious).
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Posted by Blake Royer, January 22, 2008 at 4:00 PM
There are always eggs in the fridge, but I often fail to notice them when I open it, hungry. 12 orbs of long-lasting, inexpensive protein just sitting there, and yet it rarely occurs to me that I should be making dinner out of them. It's not that they go sour; the eggs always get used eventually, when my girlfriend bakes or we scramble them on an especially roomy weekday morning. But my egg recipe repertoire is pretty lacking.
Browsing around the sleek new Gourmet website, I came across this recipe for eggs baked in cream with spinach and ham; a little further research revealed that this recipe is a riff on Eggs in Cocotte, a French preparation named for the dish it's baked in. In search of my own little receptacle to hold it, I was astonished to discover that, in fact, I own one cocotte dish—it says so on the bottom. I happily prepared it with the knowledge of my accidental authenticity. The ham, simmered beforehand in the cream, perfumes the whole dish, while the spinach gives a mineral taste and texture. And all that cream—how can you go wrong? This requires some good buttered toast to spoon the mixture onto, and with a little green salad alongside, dinner is looking pretty good.
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Posted by Emily Koh, January 21, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Think "barley," and the first thing that comes to my mind is usually feed for livestock—I don't even consider it under the header of "whole grains," which I equate with oats or whole wheat, and I'm sure I can't be the only one. Luckily, Lorna Sass is out to change the perception that whole grains just means substituting brown rice for sushi or making steel-cut Irish oatmeal with Whole Grains: Every Day, Every Way. The cookbook introduces a range of recipes that incorporates a variety of whole grains, like buckwheat and polenta, to lesser known fare such as amaranth and Job's tears.
This recipe is a healthier spin on the traditional Spanish omelet with the barley substituting for the potatoes, making the dish a little less dense and with a chewier kick to it. Perfect for brunch without inducing you into a belly-hugging food coma, as usually seems to be the case with brunch. If you want to give it an Italian flair, Sass suggests substituting flat-leaf parsley for the cilantro, salami for the chorizo, farro for the barley, and 1/3 cup grated Roman cheese instead of the manchego.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, January 20, 2008 at 8:45 AM
I haven't made this one in a while, but it still remains one of my favorites for a quick Sunday brunch or breakfast. It's relatively quick and easy, and if you take the time to pan-fry the tortillas as specified, it's a showstopper for family or guests. After the jump, Huevos Oaxaca.
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