Making Time to Enjoy a Gourmet Life

If you're like me, you base your vacation spots partially on where you can enjoy great food and a cocktail:  Think tapas in Spain, lobster on the coast of Maine, or wine tastings in Napa Valley. One of the simplest things I've enjoyed in my travels over the past few years was the ability to take a break in the evenings before dinner, to watch the sunset with a cocktail and a little snack. When we came home, I vowed to incorporate these little moments whenever possible and to enjoy a gourmet life at home, not just on vacation.

All it takes is a little planning and creativity. Next time you're walking past a cheese shop or through a local market, stop and ask for recommendations. You'll often find the shop owners are more than happy to recommend little snacks that don't cost too much and go well together, such as a sliver of good cheese, a demi-baguette, a few slices of sopressata and a handful of olives. Add a glass of red wine and you're all set!

Whatever you choose to prepare, remember to appreciate the moment - don't dwell on the past or worry about the future. Be good to yourself and your loved ones, and enjoy what you have right now.

You Say Tomato, I Say Tomate

A couple of years ago, my husband and I took a two-week trip to Spain, visiting Madrid, San Sebastian and Barcelona. One of the simplest dishes that stuck with me was something we ate often there, both at fancy restaurants and low-key tapas bars: Pan Con Tomate. It's super simple, and it's a great way to utilize the end-of-season tomatoes in the fall.

Pan Con Tomate

Serves 2

4 slices of thick cut crusty bread
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 ripe heirloom tomato, halved
2 T extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1-2 T sherry vinegar, to taste
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt

Grate the tomatoes on a box grater, and mix in the olive oil, sherry vinegar and salt.

Slice up a good, crusty baguette into thick slices, and toast them in the oven briefly - or better yet, grill it until it's slightly charred. Remove from the oven or grill, and rub the toasted bread with the garlic cloves (the bread will act as a mini grater), then drizzle with the best-quality olive oil you can afford, and top with the tomato mixture.


For more tapas ideas, check out this cookbook by one of my favorite chefs:
Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America, by Jose Andres

Brussels Sprouts for Haters

I've met many a sprout-hater in my life, and I promise you that this recipe - shamelessly passed off as my own for years even though it was ripped off from Blue Hill chef  Dan Barber - will make even the most anti-brussels-sprout person reconsider their feelings for the vegetable. It's plentiful this time of year at the farmers' market, but you'll do just as well with a fresh pint of whole sprouts at the grocery store while they're in season. It beats the pants off cooking them in butter, in my opinion, and it's easy enough for a weeknight meal but fancy enough (especially if you add some crisp cubes of pancetta) to serve at a holiday meal.

You'll be browning the sprouts face-down in the skillet on a stove top before roasting, so you'll need a large enough skillet to hold all the sprouts that's oven safe (such as cast iron) - or you can brown them in batches and roast together in the oven.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with White Balsamic

Serves 2-3 as a side dish

2 C brussels sprouts
2 T extra virgin olive oil
3-4 T white balsamic vinegar, for de-glazing
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper (white pepper, if you have it)
3 T cubed pancetta, crisped and drained (optional)


Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Clean the brussels sprouts by trimming the tough stems, removing any yellowed outer leaves and halving them length-wise. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-save skillet on medium-high heat on the stove, then add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper. When the oil is hot, quickly place the brussels sprouts face down in the oil and cook until they begin to brown (about 4-6 minutes). Place in the oven and roast until the sprouts turn dark green and the bottoms are nice and dark brown. Return the pan to a medium flame on the stovetop and pour in the white balsamic vinegar, stirring the sprouts to coat evenly.

Two tips for that last step: 1) If you use a cast iron pan, it'll retain enough heat that you don't need to turn the stove back on to do this step. 2) Keep your face away from the pan. Just trust me when I say that you do not want a nose full of evaporating vinegar.


For more interesting takes on vegetable dishes, check out Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes for the Single Cook

Classic Indian Chicken Chapli Kebabs

 

You don't have to go to a DESI (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi) Restaurant in order to enjoy delicious CHAPLI Kebabs!  Make these delicious little pieces of heaven right in your cozy kitchen!!!

 

1 lb. ground chicken

1 fine chopped onion

6 fine chopped garlic cloves

3 ounces fine chopped ginger

fine chopped chilies to taste

fine chopped fresh green coriander to taste

salt to taste

pepper to taste

4 ounces soy sauce

1/4 cup bread crumbs

3 tablespoons oil 

Mix all the ingredients add bread crumbs accordingly so that mixture is not be too moist.

Divide mixture into small balls and press them little to make small flat discs, 4-5 inches in diameter.

Cook them on medium flame for 7-8 minutes both sides until they are golden brown or bake in oven for 15-20 minutes.  Serve them with mint chutney(puree of mint, lemon juice, onion, salt and pepper).

 

This makes 12-15 Chapli Kebabs :)

 

Ready for more classic Indian dishes? Here are 300 Classic Indian Recipes: Authentic dishes, from kebabs, korma and tandoori to pilau rice, balti and biryani, with over 300 photographs