alice and waldo

June 4, 2015

Shaved Summer Squash Salad

One of the first vegetables I purchased at the farmers market this week was miniature summer squash with the blossoms. I thinly shaved the tender squash and combined it with arugula, lemon vinaigrette, and Parmesan to make a light and refreshing salad. This salad is best with young miniature summer squash.

Shaved Summer Squash Salad

(adapted from The Cafe Cook Book: Italian Recipes from London’s River Cafe by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers)

Serves 3-4

1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound miniature summer squash
2 ounces arugula, washed and dried thoroughly
freshly ground black pepper
1-2 ounces Parmesan, thinly shaved

Add the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Remove the blossoms and trim the ends of the summer squash. Slice the squash lengthwise as thinly as possible with a sharp knife or mandolin. Combine the shaved squash with the vinaigrette and toss gently to mix. Allow to marinate for 5 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

Place the arugula on a large serving platter and top with the marinated squash and the shaved Parmesan.

Miniature Summer Squash with Squash Blossoms

Miniature Summer Squash | Shaved Summer Squash Salad

May 31, 2015

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Grilled Shrimp with Lovage Butter

The Green City Market returned to the south end of Lincoln Park at the beginning of May. I was excited to find a beautiful bunch of lovage on the first day. Lovage has a flavor similar to celery and flat leaf parsley, but it is stronger and more assertive. The leaves are milder early in the season and are the perfect addition to a compound butter. The flavor of lovage butter pairs well with chicken, fish, and shellfish as well as potatoes. I purchased head-on jumbo shrimp in the shell at Eataly and grilled them with lovage butter. The shrimp are delicious served with grilled artisan bread or a simple salad with lemon vinaigrette.

Grilled Shrimp with Lovage Butter

Serves 2-3

1 ½ pounds head-on jumbo shrimp in the shell, shells split down the back and deveined
¼ cup lovage butter
1 lemon, cut into eight wedges

Preheat a outdoor grill or grill pan until very hot.

Melt the lovage butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Toss the shrimp in 2 tablespoons of the butter and place on the hot grill for 2-3 minutes on each side until just cooked through. Place the grilled shrimp on a large platter and serve with the remaining lovage butter and lemon wedges.

Lovage Butter

Makes ½ cup

¼ cup salted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup lovage leaves, finely chopped

In a bowl, mix the butter and lovage with a spoon until combined. The lovage butter can be used immediately. If you would like to make the lovage butter ahead of time, use plastic wrap to shape it into a log tightening the ends to seal and store in the refrigerator until firm. The refrigerated butter can be sliced easily. Lovage butter will keep 1-2 days in the refrigerator.

Lovage

Head-on Jumbo Shrimp in the Shell | Lovage Butter

Grilled Shrimp with Lovage Butter and Artisan Bread

May 13, 2015

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Shaved Vegetable Salad

My husband and I recently spent the weekend in Brooklyn. We enjoyed a memorable evening at Maison Premiere, an oyster house and cocktail bar specializing in Absinthe reminiscent of establishments in New Orleans and Paris. The oyster list is extensive and changes frequently due to market availability; we selected oysters from both the east and west coast from the offering of over two dozen varieties. Champagne was the perfect accompaniment to the oysters. In addition to oysters, we enjoyed Alaskan King Crab with Warm Lobster Butter, Perwinkles Toast with Seaweed and Preserved Lemon, and a Shaved Vegetable Salad with Ver Jus Vinaigrette.

I have attempted to replicate the light, crisp, and refreshing Shaved Vegetable Salad. While I created a salad with rainbow carrots and radishes, harukei turnips, and fennel, you can add beets, turnips, or watermelon radishes. I prepared a lemon vinaigrette with the shaved vegetables instead of the vinaigrette made with Ver Jus at Maison Premiere. You can vary the recipe choosing the vegetables and vinaigrette that you prefer.

Shaved Vegetable Salad

(inspired by the Shaved Vegetable Salad at Maison Premiere in Brooklyn)

Serves 3-4

1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 bunch rainbow carrots, peeled
1 bunch rainbow radishes
1 bunch harukei turnips
1 small fennel bulb
fennel fronds
freshly ground black pepper

Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and sugar to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Remove the tops from the carrots and slice lengthwise as thinly as possible with a sharp knife or mandolin. Add shaved carrots to a large bowl filled with ice and water. The ice water will keep the carrots crisp as the remaining vegetables are prepared. Hold the radishes and turnips by the tops and shave in the same manner as the carrots. Add to the radishes and turnips to the bowl with the carrots. Cut off the stems from the fennel bulb and remove any damaged outer layers. Holding the fennel by the feathery fronds, slice the it as thinly as possible with a sharp knife or mandolin stopping when you reach the fronds. Add the fennel shavings to the bowl of carrots, radishes, and turnips. Roughly chop ¼ cup of the fennel fronds and set aside.

Remove the shaved vegetables from the bowl of ice water and dry thoroughly. In a large bowl, combine the vegetables with the vinaigrette and toss gently to mix. Garnish with chopped fennel fronds and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with fresh goat cheese from Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery.

Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery Fresh Goat Cheese | Shaved Vegetable Salad with Fresh Goat Cheese and Vinaigrette

March 31, 2015

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Nuts and Honey | Almonds, Pistachios, and Walnuts

I like to keep small jars of nuts layered with honey in my pantry. The nuts and honey can be used to create a delicious treat any time of day. I garnish orange cake with almonds and honey, top yogurt with pistachios and honey, and pair gorgonzola with walnuts and honey. It is essential to purchase the freshest nuts you can find and to use a high quality honey. I like to use acacia honey from Mieli Thun because it has a delicate flavor that compliments the almonds, pistachios, and walnuts, and it does not crystalize easily.

Nuts and Honey

(adapted from Buvette: the Pleasure of Good Food by Jody Williams)

Makes 1 ½ cups

1 cup nuts (almonds, pistachios, and walnuts or a combination of several varieties)
½ cup acacia honey
a pinch of sea salt

Combine the nuts, honey, and sea salt. Spoon the nuts into a jar and cover with a lid. The nuts and honey can be stored in a cool, dark place in the kitchen for a month.

Orange Cake | Almonds and Honey

This is the recipe for the orange cake I garnished with orange segments, almonds, and acacia honey. You can make this cake or use your favorite pound cake recipe.

Orange Cake

(adapted from Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan)

Makes 12 servings

4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 ⅓ cups sugar
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons orange zest from 2-3 oranges
1 ¾ cups cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
5 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

Preheat oven to 350℉.

Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with butter and dust with flour.

Whisk the eggs, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until smooth and foamy. Add orange zest and whisk briefly.

Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add a third of the sifted flour mixture to the egg mixture and whisk until just combined. Whisk in the remaining flour mixture in two more additions. Whisk in the heavy cream. Use a spatula to gently fold in the butter into the batter taking care not to over mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Place on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes. The cake is finished cooking when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake has risen and cracked. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack. After 10 minutes remove the cake from the loaf pan and allow it to continue to cool to room temperature on the rack. When the cake has cooled completely, it can be served immediately or wrapped tightly for 2-3 days.

Serve the cake with orange segments, almonds, and honey.

Yogurt with Pistachios, Honey, and Raspberries

Walnuts and Honey | Gorgonzola Dulce with Walnuts and Honey

March 9, 2015

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Pistachio Aillade

Last week, I found an unglazed ceramic Pigeon Toe Mod Mortar + Pestle at a modern home and lifestyle shop called Gather Home + Lifestyle, and I could not resist purchasing it. When I arrived home with my new treasure, I decided to use the mortar and pestle to create a pistachio aillade. The pistachio aillade should be made with the best and freshest pistachios and the highest quality extra-virgin olive oil available. I love to serve pistachio aillade with roasted cauliflower, grilled asparagus, or sautéed green beans; it is also delicious with grilled or roasted meat or as an accompaniment to cheese.

Pistachio Aillade

(adapted from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers)

Makes ½ cup

2 ounces raw shelled pistachios
1 small clove of garlic, peeled
kosher salt, to taste
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon orange zest

Warm pistachios in a small sauté pan on medium low heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, not toasted. Coarsely chop and allow to cool slightly.

Slice the garlic clove in half lengthwise, remove the green germ, and slice thinly. Add the garlic to a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt and pound to a paste. Add the toasted and chopped pistachios to the garlic in the mortar and pestle and pound again until coarsely ground. Blend in the olive oil and the orange zest.

Set the aillade aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. The aillade will keep refrigerated for several days. Bring to room temperature prior to serving.

Roasted Cauliflower with Pistachio Aillade

The pistachio aillade pairs perfectly with La Jeune Autize, a Morbier cheese made entirely of goat’s milk, and homemade plum jam. As an accompaniment to cheese, I omitted the garlic from the aillade and added a few whole pistachios.

La Jeune Autize with Pistachio Aillade and Plum Jam

February 26, 2015

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Almond and Orange Biscotti

When I lived in Portland, Oregon, I often shopped at Pastaworks for specialty groceries – homemade pasta; artisanal cheese, bread, charcuterie, and olive oil; domestic and imported wine; and biscotti. Although the extensive selection of pasta, cheese, and wine encouraged me to return to Pastaworks several times a week, the one item that always ended up in my basket was biscotti. Several years later, I discovered a delicious recipe for cornmeal biscotti in The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers. This recipe creates biscotti strikingly similar to the ones I purchased at Pastaworks. I made the cornmeal biscotti with orange-flavored liqueur and orange zest instead of anise-flavored liqueur and anise seed.

Almond and Orange Biscotti

(adapted from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers)

Makes 18-24 Biscotti

¾ cup almonds
4 tablespoons cold salted butter
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cold large egg
1 ½ teaspoons orange-flavored liqueur (Cointreau or Grand Marnier)
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons fine cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons orange zest

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Place the almonds on a small baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes until light brown and fragrant. Finely chop ¼ cup of the roasted almonds with a knife or food processor and coarsely chop the remaining almonds. Set aside.

While the almonds cool, cut the butter into ½ inch cubes. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds until combined but not creamed. Add the egg and orange-flavored liqueur and mix for additional 30 seconds.

Combine the almonds, flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and orange zest in a separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture and mix on low speed for an additional 2-3 minutes until the dough comes together.

Remove the dough from the mixer and divide in half. Roll each half of the dough into 8 inch logs on a lightly floured counter or pastry board. Place the logs on a parchment lined baking sheet with a few inches of space in between them. Press down gently on the dough to create logs approximately 2 inches wide and 8 inches long. Bake the logs until light brown and firm about 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet half way through the cooking time.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Transfer the baked logs to a cutting board and slice on an angle ¾ inch thick. Return the sliced biscotti to the baking sheet cut side down and bake for 5 minutes until light brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip the biscotti over. Return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes to brown the other side. Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Biscotti Logs on Baking Sheet | Baked and Cut Biscotti

Almond and Orange Biscotti

February 24, 2015

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Every Day Table

Enjoying a meal with my husband and daughter is a celebrated daily ritual in our home. Today, I wish to share a curated collection of every day essentials for the table – traditional Mexican tumblers, beautiful and functional ceramics, handcrafted cotton napkins, modern flatware, and handblown wine glasses. These are the items my family and I use on a daily basis; they are beautiful handcrafted designs intended to endure the test of time.

Every Day Table by aliceandwaldo on polyvore.com

Universal Tumblers | Chez Panisse Dinnerware | Brooke Blockprint Napkin

Odeon Flatware | Woodstock Wine Stemware | Large Serving Bowl

In January, I attended a conference for bloggers called Alt Summit. Jess Lee, CEO and Co-Founder of Polyvore, was one of the keynote speakers at the conference. She inspired me to create an inspiration board of my own on Polyvore. Polyvore offers bloggers an amazing opportunity to share products and information with their readers. This is my Polyvore collection of designs that inspire my every day table: Every Day Table.

February 12, 2015

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Salmon Rillettes

My husband and I arrived home from the master class at Publican Quality Bread with three loaves of artisan bread. It is a special treat in our house to have an abundance of bread. The next evening, I prepared salmon rillettes to complement a sprouted oat boule. Salmon rillettes, a flavorful combination of smoked and wild salmon, butter, and crème fraîche, are delicious served as an appetizer on cucumbers or crackers, or as a light dinner with toast and a simple salad.

Salmon Rillettes

(adapted from Buvette: the Pleasure of Good Food by Jody Williams)

Serves 4-6

½ pound center-cut wild salmon, skin, pin-bones, and dark flesh removed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 shallots, finely diced
2 green onions, finely diced
½ cup crème fraîche
½ pound smoked salmon, finely diced
2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
sea salt
black or white pepper, freshly ground

Rub the wild salmon with the olive oil and season with sea salt.

Prepare a steamer for cooking the salmon by bringing 1 inch of water to a boil in the bottom. Place the salmon in the steamer insert over the boiling water, cover and cook for 6-8 minutes until light pink in the center and barely cooked through. Remove the salmon from the steamer and allow to cool. Flake the cooked salmon with a fork and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 3-5 minutes until softened but not browned. Season with a pinch of sea salt. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Place 6 tablespoons of the butter in a bowl and beat it with a spatula until smooth and creamy. Add the crème fraîche, shallots, and green onion to the butter and beat again to combine. Fold in the flaked cooked salmon and diced smoked salmon. Add the lemon juice and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

Serve the salmon rillettes with artisan bread and cucumbers. The salmon rillettes will keep for 2 days in the refrigerator.

Sprouted Oat Bread from Publican Quality Bread | Salmon Rillettes and Cucumber on Toast

February 10, 2015

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Caramelized Winter Citrus with Ricotta on Toast | Publican Quality Bread

Sunday night my husband and I attended a master class at Publican Quality Bread taught by head baker Greg Wade. We enjoyed an outstanding dinner prepared to complement the bread by Missy Corey, Chef de Cuisine at Publican Quality Meats. We ate cheese and charcuterie with seeded rye crackers; head cheese with hollandaise, poached egg and pea shoots on rye english muffin; and fabada, a spanish-style cider stew, with ciabatta. While devouring the delicious meal, Greg Wade shared recipes and techniques for creating artisan bread at home and in a commercial bakery. He enthusiastically explained the importance of quality ingredients, natural fermentation, mixing, shaping, and baking. A wide selection of the breads we tasted in our class are available locally at Publican Quality Meats.

Yesterday, I searched for recipes to highlight the artisan bread we brought home with us from our class. I was inspired by recipes for Roasted Winter Citrus on Joy the Baker and Broiled Citrus + Ricotta Toast on Sunday Suppers. For the Carmelized Winter Citrus and Ricotta on Toast, I decided to omit grapefruit and add mandarinquats; I love the addition of the mandarinquats because the unpeeled fruit adds another layer of texture and flavor to the toast. I paired the caramelized citrus with Ricotta di Bufala.

Caramelized Winter Citrus with Ricotta on Toast

(recipe inspired by Joy the Baker’s Roasted Winter Citrus and Sunday Suppers’ Broiled Citrus + Ricotta Toast)

Serves 2-4

5-6 mandarinquats
1 cara cara orange
1-2 blood oranges
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon sugar
4 slices artisan bread, cut in half
1 cup fresh ricotta

Heat the oven to broil.

Cut the mandarinquats in ⅛ inch slices and remove any seeds. Peel the cara cara and blood oranges by removing a ½ inch slice from the top and bottom. Set the oranges upright on a cutting board and carefully remove all of the peel and the pith following the curve of the fruit. Cut the oranges into ¼ inch slices. Arrange the mandarinquat and orange slices on a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle the citrus with the sugar.

Place the baking sheet under the broiler for 5 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning, until the fruit begins to caramelize on the edges. Remove from the broiler and allow to cool slightly.

Brush the bread with the remaining olive oil and grill or broil for 3-4 minutes, flipping half way through the cooking time, until golden and crisp around the edges. Alternatively, toast the bread and drizzle with olive oil.

Transfer the toast to a platter and serve with the roasted citrus and fresh ricotta.

Assorted Citrus | Caramelized Winter Citrus with Ricotta on Toast

Sourdough from the Master Class at Publican Quality Bread

February 2, 2015

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Winter Citrus | Mandarins

Throughout the month of January, I purchased Page Mandarins grown in California from my local market. Page Mandarins have deep orange flesh and rinds with a flavor that is intense and sweet; these mandarins are one of the best varieties for juicing and eating out of hand. Page Mandarins are typically available from January through March.

I love the roasted chicken with clementines and arak recipe in Jerusalem: A Cookbook. Last week, I made this recipe with mandarins instead of clementines, Turkish raki instead of Lebanese arak, and omitted the fennel bulbs. I paired the roasted chicken with mandarins with plain whole wheat couscous for a warm and delicious dinner on a cold night.

Roasted Chicken with Mandarins

(adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi)

Serves 4

6 tablespoons anise-flavored liqueur (arak, ouzo, pastis, or raki)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons mandarin juice, freshly squeezed
3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons whole grain dijon mustard
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 organic or free-range chicken, 3-3 ½ pounds, cut into 8 pieces
5-6 mandarins, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 tablespoon fennel seeds

Combine the anise-flavored liqueur, olive oil, mandarin juice, lemon juice, mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the chicken pieces, mandarin slices, and fennel seeds and stir well. Allow to marinate for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.*

Preheat oven to 450°.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30-60 minutes prior to cooking. Transfer the chicken and the marinade to a shallow baking sheet with the skin side facing up. Arrange the mandarin slices evenly among the chicken. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 35-45 minutes until the chicken is cooked and golden brown. Remove from the oven.

Arrange the roasted chicken and mandarins on a serving platter. If you would like to make a sauce for the chicken. Pour the liquid from the baking sheet into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook the sauce until reduced by one-third. Pour the sauce over the roasted chicken and mandarins and serve with plain whole wheat couscous.

* If you are short on time, you can skip the marinating time.

Mandarins | Roasted Chicken with Mandarins served with Plain Whole Wheat Couscous

I thought it would be delicious to use the extra roasted chicken and mandarins to create a new variation of spicy chicken salad. The recipe turned out so delicious that I think I will double the roasted chicken and mandarins recipe in the future in order to ensure extra chicken for lunch the next day.

Spicy Chicken Salad with Mandarins

(adapted from César: Recipes from a Tapas Bar by Oliver Said and James Melligren with Maggie Pond)

Serves 4

12 ounces chicken breasts, roasted, cooled, and shredded
5-6 mandarin slices, roasted and chopped into small pieces
2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 teaspoons red chili flakes
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon mandarin juice, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
kosher salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Place the shredded chicken in a large bowl. Add the mandarin pieces, red onion, parsley, chili flakes, olive oil, lemon juice, and mandarin juice. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.