Cured Blood Oranges

This is probably one of the easiest and fun cocktail vanishes you can make. And it's a great way to make your cocktails and mocktails look like they came from a fancy bar.

1 blood orange, 1/4-inch-thick slices
granulated sugar, as needed

Grab a plastic ziplock-style plastic bag or glass jar, and spoon in a thin layer of sugar in the bottom. Then lay the first blood orange slice on top. Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar on top of the orange, and then add the next orange. Repeat the process until you've added all slices. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 3 days before using. They'll keep for several weeks.

Amaretto Sour

A classic member of the sour family, which includes the Sidecar, the Daiquiri, and the Margarita, the Amaretto Sour is a fantastic cocktail. Amaretto takes the place of cognac, rum, and tequila, respectively. But Amaretto is much sweeter. This version tempers the sweetness with a whiskey backbone.

11⁄2 ounce (45 mL) bourbon, such as High West American Prairie Bourbon
1 ounce (30 mL) amaretto, such as Luxardo
1 ounce (30 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 egg white

Add all ingredients to a shaker without ice and shake. This may seem ridiculous, but it helps emulsify the egg white so it froths better in the final drink. Add ice to the shaker. Shake for at least 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist if you have one available.

Pommes Anna (Potato Pie)

I just got Chris Santos' SHARE cookbook and love it. I love his Beauty & Essex restaurant in NYC, despite the fact that I'm not its target market [black-hat-wearing Instagram girls]. The food is amazing though, and this recipe was inspired by a recipe in his book. Pick it up here: link.

Serves 4

1000 g (2 lbs) russet potato, sliced 1/16-inch-thick with a mandoline or food processor
100 g (6 T) butter
thyme
kosher salt

Rigatoni, sausage, brown butter, mint, and feta

I just got Chris Santos' SHARE cookbook and love it. I love his Beauty & Essex restaurant in NYC, despite the fact that I'm not it's target market [black-hat-wearing Instagram girls]. The food is amazing though, and this recipe was inspired by a recipe in his book. Pick it up here: link.

Serves 2

120 g (2 cups) rigatoni

250 g (1/2 lb) sausage, casings removed.

5 g (1 clove) garlic, minced

50 g (3 T) butter

25 g (3 T) tomato paste

5 g (3 T) parsley, minced

5 g (3 T) mint, minced

50 g (1/2 c) feta, crumbled

Cook pasta according to package directions till al dente. Drain and reserve some water, about 1 cup. Normally I would NOT advise this, and instead just transfer from the cooking water to another pan, but I don't have a TON of extra sauté pans lying around, so for this recipe, I'm draining and reserving some water.

In a separate saucepan, brown the sausage over medium heat. Transfer the sausage to a sieve situated over a bowl to drain the fat. Clean the pan.

In a separate pan, brown the butter. Reserve. (To brown butter, just put the butter in a pan over medium heat. It'll make big bubbles, then small bubbles. Then it'll start to smell nutty. Turn off the heat before it burns.)

Transfer the rigatoni to a pan over medium-high heat and brown it. I used the original pasta pan, but use whatever you'd like. Once it's browned, add the garlic, cook for a minute, stirring the whole time—you do NOT want the garlic to burn. Add tomato paste, EVOO [optionally flavored with oregano, and crushed red pepper], some of the reserved pasta water, feta cheese, reserved brown butter, mint, and parsley. Stir to combine.

Transfer to a serving bowl.

Artichoke Risotto

1500 g broth
100 g EVOO
50 g (~2 whole) shallots
20 g (~3 large cloves) garlic, minced
100 g wine
200 g, 1 cup Risotto rice
50 g, 3 1/2 tbsp butter
50 g, 1 cup grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese
5 g Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Recipe

• 1500 g beef/chicken/whatever broth
  Add to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. In the most recent episode of Quarantine Cooking, I used water. It was less flavorful, but less flavorful risotto is better than no risotto.

• 100 g EVOO
• 50 g (2 whole) shallots, 1/4-inch dice
• 20 g (about 3 cloves) garlic, minced
• 2 whole artichoke hearts, sliced 1/3-inch thick
• 200 g, 1 cup risotto rice (carnaroli if you have it; arborio is okay too)
• 100 g dry white wine
• 5 g Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  Add the oil to the pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sweat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and cook until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook until toasted, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and reduce until almost dry. Ladle in the broth about a half cup at a time, reducing until almost dry before adding more. Repeat until the rice is al dente. Remove from the heat.

• 50 g, 3 1/2 tbsp butter
• 50 g, 1 cup grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese
  Add the butter and cheese and stir like crazy to emulsify. Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste.

Court Bouillon

Court bouillon roughly translates to "crap, I need stock but don't have any, what is a poor schmuck like me supposed to do?" Or it might be "quick stock." I've heard it both ways.

No matter how you translate it, it's perfect for those times when you need a flavorful stock but don't have any. Chances are you have most of the basic ingredients though. And even if you don't, you can substitute other flavorful vegetables in their place.

Court bouillon (adapted from Thomas Keller's recipe in Ad Hoc)

Makes 1.5 qts

1 large onion, sliced in 1/4-inch-thick
1 carrot, washed or peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
3 sprigs thyme
3 whole peppercorns. Tellicherry is great, but use whatever you've got
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 quart water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup white wine vinegar

Add all ingredients to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or while you prep the ingredients of whatever dish you're making that requires stock. Strain the liquid and discard the vegetables.

Leftovers Sandwich

I've been cooking a ton of food the past weeks on the show. It's been absolutely wonderful entertaining millions of people around the world with a live cooking show. The only downside is that my wife and I have a TON of leftover food. We don't have a gigantic fridge. So when the weekend rolls around, it's time to empty that fridge.

But when you cook four thousand servings of ribs and beans, you need some way to change things up. Today I made a sandwich. It's nothing crazy. It's not new. But I used up three different leftovers and I'm still patting myself on the back. Seriously. When you're in quarantine, little things can be huge.

This is less of a recipe and more of an idea [philosophy].

Toast up some bread.

I toasted only one side of my bread because my beans

Ramp Pesto with Mint

This might just be my new favorite pesto recipe. Ramps are hard to find, but they are absolutely incredible. They look like a green onion whose dark green tube was flattened into a large leaf. They taste like garlic, but without the garlicky punch. And, because of its garlicky nature, we actually omit the garlic that would normally appear in a pesto recipe.

Also...and this might be the conspiracy theorist in me...but this pesto didn't brown and I think it was because of mint's antioxidant properties. Like maybe the antioxidants prevent or slow the oxidation of the leaves so they don't turn dead green / brown? I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE. So don't call the po po on me. But it's possible, right?

• 90 g ramp leaves

• 30 g mint leaves

• 40 g pine nuts

• 40 g parmigiano-reggiano, grated

• 80 g extra virgin olive oil

Add the ramps, mint, and pine nuts to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and process into a paste. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and process to combine. With the processor running, add the olive oil in a slow stream until completely mixed. If not using immediately, transfer to a sealable container, cover with a layer of olive oil (OR NOT, see conspiracy theory above), and refrigerate.

Tabbouleh

This salad has the unfortunate trait of looking healthy.

3⁄4 oz (20 g) + 1 tablespoon (14 g) olive oil
1 cup (200 g) uncooked quinoa
2 cups (475 g) chicken stock or water
2 teaspoons (8 g) kosher salt
2 cups packed (50 g) parsley leaves
1⁄2 cup packed (5 g) mint
1⁄4 cup packed (15 g) green onion
1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes
11⁄2 tablespoons (20 g) fresh squeezed lemon juice
1⁄4 cup (30 g) pistachios

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add quinoa. It will start to smell toasty and you’ll hear little pops. That’s the quinoa celebrating getting toasted. Mazel tov! Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the chicken stock or water and the kosher salt to the quinoa and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat, cover, and let sit until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. If there’s still liquid remaining after 15 minutes, return to low heat until it’s evaporated. Let cool completely.

Rough chop the parsley. Your parsley should only be leaves, no stem. The stems are just tasteless filler, like most of my jokes. Ditch them.

Chiffonade the mint. To chiffonade, stack the mint leaves, roll them like a cigar, and then slice them in the same direction you were just rolling. You’ll end up with thin ribbons. So fancy!

Slice the dark green part of the green onion on a severe bias. The bias just makes for a more interesting shape—long spades instead of rings—so if you’re not feeling up to it, just cut rings. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Toss together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Juice the lemon. Measure 11⁄2 tablespoons of lemon juice and add it to a small bowl. Save the rest for another use.

Add the rest of the olive oil and whisk to incorporate. Don’t worry about adding an emulsifier (mustard, soap, etc.) here. It’s a rustic salad.

Mix the quinoa into the greens. If you’re making this in advance, pause here until you’re ready to serve. When you’re ready to serve, add the dressing to the salad and toss to coat. Taste the salad; it probably needs more salt. Add pistachios, and toss again, you tosser, you!

Chicken Caesar Salad

Serves 2

For the chicken

• 1 boneless skinless chicken breast half

Cook the chicken breast in a sous vide water bath set to 63-65˚C for one hour.

For the dressing

• 1 garlic clove
• 2 anchovy fillets
• kosher salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons EVOO

Dice the garlic clove and the anchovy together on the cutting board. Sprinkle with kosher salt and, using the side of the knife, mash them together into a paste. Scrape into a small bowl. Add the egg yolk, mustard, and lemon juice to the bowl and whisk together. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to create a stable emulsion. Reserve in the refrigerator until ready for use.

For the croutons

• Baguette
• EVOO
• Salt

Tear the baguette into one inch cubes. Place on a sheet pan, drizzle with EVOO, sprinkle with salt, and place in a 350˚F oven until well dried, about 10-15 minutes.

For the salad

• 1 heart of romaine

Heat a broiler on high. Cut the heart in half lengthwise and place, cut side up, on a sheet pan. Place until the broiler and broil until well charred, about 5 minutes.

To complete

Place the broiled romaine hearts on two plates. Slice the chicken breast into 1/2-inch slices and place on top of the hearts, dividing equally. Top with croutons, and drizzle the dressing. Shave some real parmigiano-reggiano over the salads.

Ribs Ribs Ribs

This is, without a doubt, my favorite way of preparing ribs. Yes, it takes days cook them to absolute perfection, but instead of looking at it as 36 hours you have to wait, look at it as 36 hours you get to build anticipation.

In my household, one rack feeds two people. If you serve it with side dishes it'll feed four.

Ingredients

2-4 servings

• 1 rack of baby back ribs
• 50 g (8 T) paprika
• 50 g (4 T) kosher salt
• 40 g (4 T) garlic powder
• 30 g (4 T) chili powder
• 10 g (1 T) brown sugar

For the Ribs

• 1 rack of baby back ribs

Heat a water bath to 65˚C (149˚F). Cut the ribs to fit into your vacuum sealer bags and vacuum seal. Cook sous vide for 36 hours. Remove from the water bath and, if not cooking immediately, chill in an ice bath. Once they're cool, transfer to the refrigerator. Yes, you can leave them in the vacuum bags.

To complete

• 50 g (8 T) paprika
• 50 g (4 T) kosher salt
• 40 g (4 T) garlic powder
• 30 g (4 T) chili powder
• 10 g (1 T) brown sugar

Heat the oven to 350˚F. Set a rack in the middle of the oven. Mix spices in a small bowl. Place a large cooling rack on a foil-lined two-thirds sheet pan. Apply the spice mix liberally to ribs and place on the cooling rack. Cook until a nice dark bark has formed, about 30-40 minutes.

Leftover Cauliflower Purée with Asparagus

Got leftover cauliflower purée? Thin it out as necessary with a little chicken/vegetable stock (or water if you're in a pinch) and throw some veggies on top. I covered mine with plastic wrap and threw it in the microwave for two minutes. Just long enough to cook the asparagus and warm up the soup. I finished it with some really good olive oil and Maldon salt flakes.

Halibut en papillote

Serves 2

• 4 tbsp butter, plus one tsp, as needed
• 2 halibut fillets
• Kosher salt, as needed
• Asparagus tips, from half of one bunch
• 1/2 c mixed olives (I used a mix of kalamata, castelvetrano, and others.
• 4 tbsp non-pareil capers
• 1 tbsp Italian parsley

Heat the oven to 400˚F. Brown the 4 tbsp of butter in a small saucepan. Meanwhile, cut a piece of parchment paper roughly 16 inches by 24 inches for each fish fillet. Fold the parchment paper in half to create a seam, then open it back up. Place the fish along the seam skin side down and season with kosher salt. Add asparagus tips, olives, capers, and parsley. Spoon the brown butter over everything. Butter the perimeter of the parchment paper, then fold it back in half, pressing to seal the sides. Working from top to bottom, fold the parchment paper in on itself toward the fish (like this). Transfer to a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Cook for 10 minutes per inch of thickness.

To serve, plate the packet and slice to vent the steam.

Croque Madam

The exact translation of Croque Madam has been lost to antiquity. Historians and linguistics professors have dug through ancient texts, and the best they've able to cobble together, the closest translation, is "grilled cheese."

Croque madam. You might be asking yourself if there's a croque monsieur (same sandwich, no egg). And the answer is yes. There is. Unfortunately he couldn't be here tonight. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, he's self-quarantining with Croque Mistress. I hope that once everything gets back to normal that they can work everything out because here's some new news: they've got a little Croque Mademoiselle on the way.

If you want to try a lighter version of this, try it without the top slice of bread. I like to call this preparation a Topless Croque Madam.

Serves 2

For the mornay sauce

(Inspired by Thomas Keller's Bouchon)

Roux plus milk equals béchamel. Béchamel plus cheese equals mornay. Mornay plus grilled cheese equals croque madam, which is amazing. This amount of mornay makes enough for at six sandwiches.

Makes 2 cups

• 45 g, 3 T, butter
• 50 g, 2 shallots, 1/4-inch dice
• 50 g, 3 T, all-purpose flour
• 500 g, 2 cups, milk
• 250 g, 1 cup, heavy cream
• 50 g Gruyére, grated
• 5 g lime juice
• pinch of cayenne
• kosher salt, to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and gently sweat for 3-5 minutes until it becomes translucent. Add the flour and cook for another 3-5 minutes to cook off the flour taste. Stir constantly so it doesn't brown. Add the milk and cream, bring to a very gentle simmer, and reduce by one third, about 20 minutes. Stir in the cheese, lime juice, and cayenne and reserve refrigerated, for up to a week.

For the sandwich

• 4 slices brioche bread
• 4 slices boiled ham
• 4 slices Gruyère/Swiss/Comté/Emmental cheese
• 60 g (4 tbsp) butter
• 2 large eggs

Heat the oven to 350˚F. Heat 45 g (3 tablespoons) of the butter in a pan large enough to hold four slices of bread over medium heat. Add the bread slices, top two of them with the cheese and ham, and cook until the bottoms are browned, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to the oven and cook until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Melt the remaining butter in a small sauté pan set over medium. Crack the eggs into the pan and fry until just set, about 5 minutes.

Form a sandwich with the bread slices and transfer to a serving plate. Top each sandwich with an egg. Pour an ungodly amount of mornay sauce top.

Miso-glazed carrots with cauliflower purée

For the carrots

(Adapted from Chefsteps)

• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 1 bunch carrots, trimmed and washed
• 3/4 c water
• kosher salt

Cut carrots in half lengthwise. Heat EVOO in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place carrots in the pan cut side down and brown, about 3 minutes. Add water to the pan, cover with a lid, and steam for 15 minutes.

For the Cauliflower Purée

(Adapted from Modernist Cuisine at Home)

Can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Keep in the refrigerator until you’re ready to complete the dish.

Also, you can scale this up or down based on the amount of cauliflower you have. To scale the recipe, weigh your cauliflower, then multiply by the percentages of the other ingredients.

For instance, if your head is 800 g, then you’d need: 80 g butter, 24 g water, and 4 g salt.

• 100% (500 g) cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 15% (75 g) butter
• 5% (25 g) water
• 0.5% (2.5 g) salt

Brown the butter in the base of a pressure cooker. Add cauliflower, water, and salt, and pressure cook for about ten minutes. Depressurize and transfer the contents of the pan to a blender. Blend on high until completely puréed.

Don't fret if you don't have a pressure cooker. I'm using it to speed up the cauliflower cook time. You could sauté over medium heat if you want. It'll just take longer.

To complete

• 4 tbsp mirin (I'm using white wine)
• 3 tbsp white miso paste (you can use soy sauce here and reduce the mirin a bit)
• splash of sesame oil (not necessary; if you don't have, don't fret)

Mix the the glazing ingredients together in a small bowl. Heat a pan over medium heat. Add carrots. (Or just add to the pan with the carrots from above.) Add the glaze ingredients. Cook until the sauce reduces to a glaze, spooning over the carrots, about 5 minutes.

Place a large spoonful of cauliflower purée on a plate. Place the carrots on top. Drizzle any remaining glaze on the carrots.

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1500 g beef/chicken/whatever broth
• 110 g EVOO
• 200 g wild mushrooms
• 50 g (2 whole) shallots, 1/4-inch dice
• 200 g, 1 cup risotto rice (carnaroli if you have it; arborio is okay too)
• 100 g dry white wine
• 0.25 g saffron (optional)
• 50 g, 3 1/2 tbsp butter
• 50 g, 1 cup grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese
• 5 g Diamond Crystal kosher salt

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Recipe

• 1500 g beef/chicken/whatever broth
  Add to a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

• 10 g EVOO
• 200 g wild mushrooms
  Add the oil to a separate large pan (like Dutch oven large) over medium-high heat. Just as it starts to smoke, add the mushrooms. Don't touch them for one minute. Stir them, then let them sauté for another minute or two. Cook them until they're just tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from the pan and reserve at room temperature.

• 100 g EVOO
• 50 g (2 whole) shallots, 1/4-inch dice
• 100 g dry white wine
• 200 g, 1 cup risotto rice (carnaroli if you have it; arborio is okay too)
• 5 g Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  Add the oil to the pan and set over medium heat. Add the shallots and sweat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook until toasted, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and reduce until almost dry. Ladle in the broth about a half cup at a time, reducing until almost dry before adding more. Add salt as you go, a heavy pinch with each addition. Repeat until the rice is al dente. Remove from the heat.

• 50 g, 3 1/2 tbsp butter
• 50 g, 1 cup grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese
  Add the butter and cheese and stir like crazy to emulsify. Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste.

This is NOT the wild mushroom risotto we cooked together on my live cooking show. I ate it so fast I forgot to take a picture. This is another risotto. Equally awesome.

fettuccini, alfredo, asparagus

Serves 4

1 lb, 450 g fresh fettuccini or linguine
2 oz, 60 g butter
2 oz, 60 g parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
Black pepper, to taste
Asparagus tips, from one bunch

Cook the fresh pasta until it’s 1-2 minutes shy of al dente. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium-sized pan over medium-low heat. Transfer the pasta to the pan. Add 4-6 ounces of pasta water to the pan. Gradually add the cheese and toss to combine. Give it a few grinds of fresh cracked black pepper. Serve in warmed bowls, and top with reserved asparagus tips.

We’re only using the tips from a bunch of asparagus, but that doesn’t mean you have to throw the stems away.

Use them in this recipe! Or this one!

Jameson Old Fashioned

🍀Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 🍀

This should really be called a Jameson Manhattan on the rocks…don’t tell anyone.

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Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey
• ½ oz Carpano Antica
• 2 dashes aromatic bitters
• Orange zest, for garnish

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Recipe

Add all ingredients to a double old fashioned glass with ice. Stir. Garnish with an orange zest.