Posted by Blake Royer, May 6, 2008 at 6:30 PM
This dinner is ready in as much time as it takes to cook rice. It has five ingredients, and is totally un-nutritious. It's also luxurious and subtle, and takes very little effort. The secret? Heavy cream, for one—but also a little thing called pastis, an anise-flavored liqueur that stood in for absinthe while it was still illegal. It's an obscure ingredient, I'll admit, and not everyone has it banging around in their cabinet. But allow me to recommend that you consider buying a bottle, if only because it's integral to the Sazerac cocktail, one of my favorite drinks in the world. And because it will probably outlive you.
The recipe comes from Pierre Franey's classic cookbook The New York Times 60-Minute Gourmet. So this is what passed for gourmet in 1979: bring on the heavy cream. Not that I'm complaining—the cover on my old copy promises "gourmet recipes and menus that reach absolute perfection in a matter of minutes," and that's exactly what happened to me. The taste was familiar, because the pastis flavor is similar to tarragon, an herb commonly used in French cream sauces. In fact, if you really don't want to invest in a bottle, a little fresh tarragon thrown in with the shallots might work just as well.
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Posted by Ed Levine, May 4, 2008 at 12:30 PM
This week's Cartoon Kitchen features Serious Eats' cartoonist in residence Larry Gonick's spin on shrimp salad. —Ed Levine
Posted by Nick Kindelsperger, April 2, 2008 at 4:15 PM
This Mario Batali recipe comes from his Simple Italian Food, a book that I somehow missed out on. I love his Molto Italiano and the Babbo Cookbook, but was a little surprised to find this amongst the stack at the local library. It sounded exactly like something I needed. I was worried about the lemon sauce and crispy garlic at first, but after the three minutes of boiling, it reduced to a beautiful lemony glaze that was perfect over the shrimp.
The only ingredient that might cause problems is the limoncello. It, unfortunately, also gives the dish its soul. There are some easy limoncello recipes, if you have a few months and some extra bottles of grain alcohol hanging around. As for substitutes, it’s all rather sketchy looking. It’d just suggest biting the bullet and securing a bottle—it’ll last for ages if you don’t drink it first. Or you could search out for some mini bottles, which is what I was able to find. That way you can whip up this wonderfully simple recipe in a matter of minutes and stun some guests.
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Posted by Ed Levine, March 31, 2008 at 8:30 AM
I know we linked to both the "cheese on seafood pasta" story itself and the back story in our New York Times round-up yesterday, but I think many more serious eaters are going to want to weigh in on this subject, so I figured it deserves its own post.
The story's author, Robert Trachtenberg, tries to find out the origins of why so many Italian chefs both here and in Italy consider it culinary heresy to put grated cheese on seafood pasta. He uncovers many theories, but not the definitive answer.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, March 12, 2008 at 5:30 PM
My Last Supper takes the old "last bite on earth" game to the next level by asking that question of 50 of the world's best-known and most-loved chefs. Though beautifully photographed and almost more of a coffee-table book in size and format, there are some serious recipes in here to accompany the memorable visuals and fun interviews. As this week's featured Cook the Book entry, we'll be highlighting a recipe a day from it. Today's is by Chui Lee Luk, the chef-owner of Claude's in Sydney. Lee Luk describes her last meal: "Assuming that I will be in good health and aware of the upcoming event, I would seek out the peace and comfort of familiar foods that have emotional meaning for me. I think I would have a meal of chili mud crab, braised tofu with prawn and pork, stir-fried snow pea leaf, and steamed rice, all followed by red bean pancakes with jasmine tea."
As is always the case with our Cook the Books, we're giving away a number of them this week. Enter to win My Last Supper »
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Posted by Adam Kuban, March 11, 2008 at 1:45 PM
My Last Supper takes the old "last bite on earth" game to the next level by asking that question of 50 of the world's best-known and most-loved chefs. Though beautifully photographed and almost more of a coffee-table book in size and format, there are some serious recipes in here to accompany the memorable visuals and fun interviews. As this week's featured Cook the Book entry, we'll be highlighting a recipe a day from it. Today's is from Mario Batali, who describes his last meal as a "seafood extravaganza" that would end with this dish, gamberoni all'acqua pazza, or "shrimp in crazy water."
As is always the case with our Cook the Books, we're giving away a number of them this week. Enter to win My Last Supper »
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Posted by Nick Kindelsperger, February 18, 2008 at 4:15 PM
I’ve been stuck on Saveur for a few weeks now, mostly because I’ve been able to find little gems like this one. The magazine likes to search for truly authentic dishes and explores their origins in longer written pieces. Salad of shrimp and roasted peppers is actually an adaptation of a traditional Italian dish which substitutes the hard to find eel (well, in the Midwest at least), with the far more approachable shrimp. Everything else is pure simplicity. How can so few ingredients create something so fresh and flavorful?
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Posted by Adam Kuban, January 15, 2008 at 1:45 PM
Yesterday I was in the market for a good vegetable soup recipe. Today, my thoughts have turned to stir-fry, which is another item I like to make that I've been wanting a healthier recipe for.
This one, for Stir-Fried Shrimp with Lo Mein and Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette, comes from The Culinary Institute of America's Techniques of Healthy Cooking
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Posted by Nick Kindelsperger, January 9, 2008 at 4:00 PM
I’m apparently still obsessed with death, because I can’t put My Last Supper down. I mean, of all recommendations, wouldn’t a “last-recipe-ever” tag by a respected chef seem like a good place to start? Especially when the chef is Mario Batali and his recipe is called Shrimp in Crazy Water? It looked like a beautiful rustic dish, rather like his chicken with green sauce recipe I still salivate over.
The “crazy” in the water is due to some fresh chiles, which in my case were serranos, though jalapeños or habeneros—for you really crazy folk—would also work. The chiles certainly do make a scene in the tomato and fennel sauce, though not in a way that would impede excessive slurping. I sure couldn’t find any live or whole shrimp in Ohio, so I had to settle for some wild Gulf shrimp without their heads. Not exactly the perfect re-creation for his last meal, but perfectly delicious for a weeknight meal.
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Posted by Ed Levine, December 31, 2007 at 8:09 AM
We knew it's easy to get stressed out trying to figure out what to do and eat and drink on New Year's Eve (the pressure to have a spectacularly great time is enormous). So check in with Serious Eats throughout the day. We're gonna have a bunch of stress-busting New Year's Eve posts. Stick with Serious Eats. We'll get you through.
Let's start with a terrific Mario Batali recipe perfect for a New Year's Eve gathering. Mario calls for making fresh pasta for this dish, which is taken from the very useful Holiday Food (let's face it, we celebrate a lot of holidays), but I have made it with a wide, dried pasta, and it's just as good. This pasta with rock shrimp and zuccchini would become a festive addition to a New Year's Eve buffet. In fact, sometimes we do sort of a pot luck New Year's Eve buffet where everyone brings a dish or two. If you bring this pasta dish, or the Pasta with Walnuts (which is particularly suitable for a buffet because it can be eaten either hot or at room temperature), your hosts would be very happy indeed.
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Posted by Mario Batali, December 14, 2007 at 10:00 AM
Most purists in Italy consider any sauce for any fish to be nearly heretical, but in Liguria, the herbacious bath of pesto has the weight of barely floral scented spring and early summer breezes so, the odd exception is often made.
In this case the particularly briny shrimp from the Mare Tirreno marry well with a pesto with less cheese than normal and a slight increase in the pine nut content. The first time I tried this was at a seriously relaxed place on the high end in Portofino callled Il Splendido. There is a pool terrace and then a casual restaurant in the garden where they serve lunch only to high-roller Euro types and American heiresses who missed the boat to Clooney's house over on Lago di Como and where, despite the often kiss-kiss-mwah crowd, the food is actually killer.
They serve these marinated shrimp on the salad buffet (I know what you're thinking, and it is not that way here; it is truly exquisite), but they also do a piatto del giorno with a fresh puffy pillow of focaccia genovese, piled with shrimp, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and giant, nearly bitter arugula leaves. Two glasses of local vermentino and a plate of green melon and the nap by the pool puts you into the dreams of Gian Vincenzo Imperiale.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 12, 2007 at 2:30 PM
The Shrimp Creole recipe that follows is that of the late Austin Leslie, whose notable career is briefly chronicled in John T. Edge's Southern Belly: The Ultimate Food Lover's Companion to the South.
Leslie began cooking at the D. H. Holmes Department Store on Canal Street in New Orleans, bounced around to various local kitchens, and eventually landed at Chez Helene, the neighborhood restaurant that inspired CBS's short-lived sitcom Frank's Place.
Leslie was an icon of New Orleans cuisine, was known as the "Godfather of Fried Chicken," and received raves from patrons and food writers alike for dishes such as Oysters Rockefeller and Fried Chicken with Persillade. Sadly, he died soon after being rescued from his attic after becoming trapped there during Hurricane Katrina.
His legend and recipes live on after him.
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Posted by Nick Kindelsperger, September 10, 2007 at 4:15 PM
For those not quite convinced, it is fun to light things on fire—especially when you get to eat the contents afterwards. I found this easy Gourmet recipe that is quick and simple and offers a good introduction to igniting your food. I just made sure I knew the location of the closest fire extinguisher before proceeding.
I had all the ingredients on hand except the shrimp and was able to whip this up quickly after purchasing them. And It was fun, even if the flavors didn’t exactly meld. The unmistakable whiff of tequila haunts this dish. But it’s hard not to long for the tequila in its more enjoyable cocktail form. Perhaps I was just sad to see it all disappear into thin air.
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Posted by Ed Levine, September 2, 2007 at 3:27 PM
This dish, from my favorite grilling book, The Thrill of the Grill, by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby, is great to make for friends or family on Labor Day. If you can't find sopressata any good-quality Italian salami or pepperoni you can buy by the piece will suffice. Italian food purists will certainly say this dish would not be found in Italy, and they are probably right, but I say delicious trumps authenticity any day.
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Posted by Nick Kindelsperger, July 16, 2007 at 4:30 PM
Today marks the debut of Nick Kindelsperger's column Dinner Tonight. Starting today, Nick will drop by on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with a quick meal that you should be able to get on the table in about 30 minutes. Regular readers of Serious Eats know that Nick is one half of the Paupered Chef duo that has done some writing for us. OK, we'll let Nick take it from here. —The Editors
Photograph by Nick Kindelsperger
Welcome to Dinner Tonight, a handy little guide to eating simply and quickly for weekday meals. I’ll run through an easy recipe that can be picked up, completed, and cleaned up before it’s time to hit the sack. I’ll pull from the latest celebrity chef’s photo-laden books as well as dusty old tomes I've picked up at yard sales. It’s all up for grabs, as long as it’s simple, quick, and delicious. If you have some perfect recipes for the column, please let me know.
First up, one my favorite quick meals from Everyday Mexican by Rick Bayless: Seafood Salad Tacos with Tomato, Radish and Habanero. It’s probably the easiest taco recipe this side of opening up a packet of “Mexican” seasoning, but it's healthier and tastier. Don’t skimp on the radishes; they provide a nice bitter crunch—a nice foil to the fresh shrimp. Use the habaneros, however, at your own discretion. Don’t be a hero. Jalapeños or even some hot sauce would work well, too.
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Posted by Ed Levine, July 13, 2007 at 3:30 PM
Dave Pasternack is probably best known for introducing crudo, Italian-style raw fish, to American palates. Think of it as sashimi with an Italian soul.
I have eaten this Albacore Tuna Crudo at Dave's restaurant, Esca, hundreds of times and never tire of it. Some people get nervous at the thought of making a raw fish preparation at home. Captain Dave says, "Don't be. Obviously it's imperative to use very fresh fish. If you're not a fisherperson yourself, you need to develop a relationship with a local fishmonger who will steer you to the freshest fish he's got. Once your fishmonger selects your fish for you, ask him or her to cut it into crudo-size pieces, 2 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick."
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Posted by Ed Levine, July 12, 2007 at 1:30 PM
Rock shrimp are delicious, forgiving, and so easy to cook with. Peppers and corn are the essence of summer eating, and when you combine them with rock shrimp and fettuccine you end up with the perfect, hassle-free summer dinner.
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Posted by Ed Levine, July 11, 2007 at 1:30 PM
Dave Pasternack, with whom I wrote The Young Man and the Sea, has a real knack for combining two or three ingredients into something unique and delicious. Take this grilled shrimp dish for example. I love the combination of grilled radicchio—which is simultaneously smoky and bitter—with meaty shrimp and porky pancetta (cured Italian bacon). But what really makes this dish is the aged balsamic vinegar, which lends the whole affair a sweet, tangy finishing touch.
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Posted by Ed Levine, July 9, 2007 at 3:00 PM
After writing The Young Man and the Sea, I had a keen appreciation for Dave Pasternack's ability to combine fish or shellfish with pasta in ingeniously simple fashion.
This recipe for Tagliatelle with Shrimp and Peas is easy, delicious, and takes less than half an hour from start to finish. Frozen peas work just as well as fresh ones, and, of course, they are a lot less work. If you can find rock shrimp easily where you live, by all means use them instead of the medium shrimp.
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