Chocolate Ginger Bark With Green Tea Powder

(from NY Times Living Magazine)

1 pound semisweet dark chocolate, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 3-inch pieces of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Freshly grated zest of 2 limes, or more if desired
1 tablespoon honey
4 tablespoons salted butter, cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups candied ginger, roughly chopped
1/4 cup matcha (Japanese green tea powder).

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Meanwhile, in a small pan, simmer the oil, chopped ginger, lime zest and honey for 2 to 3 minutes and then strain. Stir the butter into the melted chocolate, followed by the honey mixture. Fold in the candied ginger and spread on a foil-lined 9-by-11-inch tray. Refrigerate until it hardens. Break up the bar and sprinkle with green tea powder. Serve chilled.

(Simple) Asparagus Soup - Gourmet

(from Epicurious.com)


ASPARAGUS SOUP

This pretty, easy-to-make first-course soup is flavorful and creamy, yet is extremely low fat-it has only one tablespoon of butter and no cream at all (except for an optional sour cream garnish). Pour your favorite beer or a fruity white wine throughout the evening.

1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 14 1/2-ounce cans chicken broth
1 pound asparagus, tough ends discarded, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon dried summer savory
Sour cream or plain yogurt (optional)

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add flour and stir 2 minutes. Gradually mix in canned chicken broth. Bring mixture to boil. Add asparagus pieces and summer savory and simmer until asparagus is very tender, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly.

Drain asparagus, reserving cooking liquid. Puree asparagus in food processor. With machine running, Gradually add 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Return mixture to saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. (Soup can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Bring soup to simmer. Ladle into bowls. Top with dollops of sour cream or yogurt, if desired.

Serves 6.

YELLOW PEPPER RISOTTO

epicurious.com

3 yellow bell peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon water
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely diced zucchini
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
6 shallots, minced (about 1 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced flat-leafed parsley leaves

In a skillet cook peppers in water and 2 tablespoons of butter, covered partially, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 20 minutes. Purée peppers in a food processor or blender and strain through a coarse sieve into a small bowl. Season purée with salt and pepper.

In the cleaned skillet cook zucchini in 1 tablespoon remaining butter over moderate heat, stirring until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes, and season with salt and pepper.

In a saucepan heat broth and keep at a bare simmer.

In a heavy 2- to 3-quart saucepan cook shallot and garlic in remaining 2 tablespoons butter over moderately low heat until very soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until edges become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until wine is absorbed. Add about 1/2 cup simmering broth and cook, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, and cooking, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is al dente, about 20 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and stir in pepper purée, zucchini, Parmesan, 1 tablespoon of parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle risotto with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.Serves 4.

Lemon Herb Duck Breast (Bittman)

Recipe: Lemon Herb Duck Breast
Published: April 27, 2005
Adapted from Gary Danko

Time: 30 minutes (with premade hash)

1 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced lemon zest
4 teaspoons coarse black pepper
4 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
2 whole duck breasts, split and skinned
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt

1. Combine parsley, garlic, lemon zest, pepper, thyme and rosemary in a bowl. Roll duck pieces in herb mixture to coat all over.
2. Put oil in a large sauté pan, and turn heat to medium-high. When oil shimmers add duck, and reduce heat to medium. Cook, turning once or twice, until coating browns and duck is medium-rare to medium, about 6 minutes. Season meat with salt, and let it rest while you assemble the plates.
3. Slice the duck breasts, and fan slices around the hash (ignore hash - from another recipe).
Yield: 4 servings.

CHILI AND HONEY CHICKEN LEGS (Gourmet)

CHILI AND HONEY CHICKEN LEGS The chili powder used here can be found in most supermarkets and is made from a blend of spices — it is much milder than pure chile powder from New Mexico, which is very hot. These chicken legs pair nicely with the succotash.

2 tablespoons chili powder (not pure chile powder)
1 tablespoon mild honey
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 whole chicken legs (2 lb), thighs and drumsticks separated

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
Line bottom of a 15- by 10-inch shallow baking pan with foil and set an oiled large metal rack in pan.
Stir together chili powder, honey, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, then add chicken and turn to coat completely.
Transfer chicken to rack, arranging in 1 layer, then bake, turning over once, until cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Blue Hill Brussel Sprouts

http://www.stonebarnscenter.org/sb_recipes/recipe.aspx?ContentID=35

Brussel Sprouts
by Dan Barber, Chef Owner and Creative Director of Blue Hill Restaurant

brussel sprouts 4 cups, cut in half
olive oil 6 tablespoons
balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup
salt and pepper to taste

pre heat oven to 400 degrees
heat a cast iron pan. Glaze with half the oil and heat gently.
Add half the brussel sprouts, cut side down, and gently brown.
Place in oven and roast for 4 minutes.
Turn sprouts over carefully in the pan and deglaze with 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar.
Coat the sprouts fully (there should be no excess vinegar in the pan) and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Set aside on warm plate.
Repeat with the other half of sprouts.

Ramp Risotto (Scott Conant, New York magazine)

Scott Conant’s Ramp Risotto

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ramps
1 small shallot, finely chopped
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
1 cup Vialone nano rice (Conant recommends Campanini brand)
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken broth, simmering in separate pot on stove
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese, grated
Kosher salt to taste

In a wide, heavy-bottom saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.

(1) Finely chop ramp greens and stalks, reserving greens for later. Add shallot, ramp stalks, and pepper flakes, and stir until the shallot is translucent, about two minutes. Add rice to pot and cook over medium heat for two minutes, stirring to coat rice with oil.

(2) Pour in 1/4 cup of the wine and boil until almost absorbed; a little liquid should remain on top of the rice. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of hot broth at a time, stirring the rice constantly until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Add another 1/4 cup of stock, the remaining wine, and a tablespoon of olive oil, continuing to stir.

(3) Add the ramp greens and more stock as needed and continue cooking and stirring until the risotto looks creamy but is still al dente, about 18 to 22 minutes. Remove from heat and let the risotto stand for about 30 seconds. Add a drizzle of olive oil, butter, and cheese; stir until well combined. Season with salt. Makes 4 first-course portions.

Pasta With Lamb Ragù and Pecorino

NY Times - Mark Bittman

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ to ¾ pound ground lamb
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, chopped or crushed, with liquid
½ cup cream, half-and-half or milk
1 pound dried linguine or other long pasta
Freshly grated pecorino Romano.


1. Put olive oil in a medium skillet and turn heat to medium. A minute later, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, set a pot of water to boil for pasta and salt it.

2. When onion is ready, add lamb to skillet and cook, stirring to break up any clumps, until all traces of red are gone, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juice to lamb mixture, then adjust heat so it simmers briskly. (This sauce may be covered and refrigerated for a day or two, or put in a closed container and frozen for several weeks. Reheat before completing.)

3. Place pasta in boiling water. Add cream, half-and-half or milk to sauce and continue to cook, stirring occasionally; taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Cook sauce until it is thick but not dry. When pasta is done, toss it with sauce and about half the cheese. Pass remaining cheese at the table.

Yield: 4 servings.

Roast Chicken Pieces with Rosemary (Bittman)

Butter Saves the Day
    By MARK BITTMAN


 This is a recipe that may have you grappling with your conscience,
one that uses butter for nothing more than its flavor and a
silken-mouth feel to counter the dryness and mild flavor too often
associated with chicken. To make it, you loosen the skin of any
chicken part and tuck a bit of butter between skin and flesh, along
with a large pinch - or small handful - of chopped herb. I began
doing this with breasts, which need the most help, but it is killer
with thighs, which are more moist and flavorful by nature.

 This is a moderate amount of butter by today's standards, a teaspoon
or so for each piece, for a total of two or three tablespoons.
(A similar recipe 20 years ago would have called for eight
tablespoons.) Yet the butter makes a huge difference, turning
ordinary chicken into something quite luxurious, lovely over plain
white rice or with bread.

 It also makes the cooking laughably easy. When I began toying with
this recipe, I envisioned grilling. But there was too much work
involved. The butter leaked out from under the skin and flared up on
the coals, and I wound up basting the chicken, which was exactly what
I was trying to avoid. (After all, this is the forerunner of the
Butterball: no basting.) Broiling worked fine, but required attention.

 With a welcome break from the heat last week, I was willing to turn
on the oven, and roasting revealed itself as the best method. You
simply set the chicken in a very hot oven, and leave it there until
it's done about a half an hour later. The pieces cook through in
about the same amount of time as they brown.

 I experimented with about every common herb I could lay my hands on,
and while a few were unsuccessful - parsley became somewhat muddy,
and thyme overpoweringly strong - I preferred rosemary, tarragon,
dill and chervil. This isn't surprising, perhaps, because these are
all "chicken" herbs. The quantity varies from herb to herb, and
probably to taste as well, but I felt that the upper margins were
more forgiving than the lower. That is, when in doubt, use too much
rather than too little.

 Roast Chicken With Herbs and Butter
 ===================================
   4 chicken breast halves or 8 thighs or drumsticks,
      or any combination
   8 pats of butter, for a total of 2 or 3 tablespoons
   4 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves or
      2 teaspoons fresh tarragon leaves or
      2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill or chervil, or to taste
   Salt and pepper
   1 lemon, cut into quarters.

1. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Loosen skin of chicken and insert a pat
   or two of butter, depending on size of chicken pieces, and a
   portion of herbs under skin. Sprinkle skin with salt and pepper
   and place pieces, skin side up, in a roasting pan just large
   enough to accommodate chicken.

2. Roast, turning pan from front to back once after 15 minutes.
   (Do not turn pieces.) Chicken is usually done when nicely browned,
   10 to 15 minutes later (about 30 minutes total), but you can cut
   into a piece or two to make sure juices are running clear. Serve
   hot or warm, with lemon wedges. Yield: 4 servings.