le grand aioli

Sounds so chic, non? I actually can't think of anything less glamorous than mayonnaise, but somehow the French manage to even make condiments sophisticated.

Saturday night we had our friends Martha, Jo, and Mike over for a grand aioli, a family-style feast of fish, bread, eggs, and vegetables, all of which can be topped with the centerpiece of the spread: aioli, a garlicky mayonnaise. Jacques Pepin says he can't think of another dish that lends itself better to a party. And I do whatever Jacques says. Plus, Dan's been itching to make homemade mayo lately, so what better way to use it?

Le Grand Aioli:
Roasted curried chickpeas
Olives
Paloma cocktails (recipe coming soon)
Grand aioli
Strawberry-almond yogurt cake with whipped cream


Assembling the spread really couldn't be easier. There's not much cooking involved and the prep is minimal, even though there are a lot of different components going on. In addition to hard boiled eggs and grilled cod, I served raw veggies (cherry tomatoes, fennel, radishes) and cooked veggies (asparagus, green beans, and new potatoes) and a sliced baguette. For the cooked vegetables, blanch them in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, then dump them into a bowl of ice water until they cool. I boiled the new potatoes and tossed them in a little olive oil, salt, and red wine vinegar, but you could also serve them plain at room temperature. If you time it right, you can prepare all of the cooked ingredients in the same large pot of boiling water, just use tongs to remove each ingredient from the pot before adding the next one.

Aioli
Once you've made homemade aioli (or plain mayo, if you omit the garlic) you'll never go back to the jarred stuff. I'll admit, Miracle Whip is great on a turkey sandwich, but this is a whole other animal. And watching the oil and egg yolk emulsify is fun in a science experiment-y kind of way. Dan made plain and basil-flavored, and I preferred the basil with the grand aioli. All of the other parts of the meal are cooked so simply; the addition of herbs made everything a bit more flavorful.
(Serves 6 to 8 people)

1/2 clove of garlic, minced
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. dijon mustard
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
optional: 1/2 cup basil (or any other herb)

If using the basil, combine it and the oil in a food processor. Process until the basil is in small bits. Place the egg yolk and mustard in a bowl and whisk. Start to add the oil very slowly, first a few drops at a time, then in a long, thin drizzle. As you whisk, it will begin to emulsify. Once you've blended in about a half cup of oil, you can add the rest faster. Add the garlic, lemon juice, and then add salt and pepper to taste.


Strawberry-almond yogurt cake
This summery confection is a twist on Orangette's gâteau au yaourt à la fraise, French-style yogurt cake with strawberries. I basically stuck to the recipe as written, but amped up the almond component of the cake with almond extract, which made it extra fragrant. Serve with sweetened whipped cream, extra berries, and toasted sliced almonds (which, as you can see below, I forgot).
(Serves 6 to 8 people)

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup ground almonds (about 1 cup slivered almonds, ground in a food processor)
1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp. almond extract
2 handfuls quartered strawberries (or frozen whole berries)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, oil, eggs, and extract. Stir until blended together. Stir in the dry ingredients. Pour two-thirds of the batter into a greased 8-inch pan. Scatter the strawberries on top of the batter layer as evenly as possible. Top the berries with the remaining batter. Don't worry if a few berries peek out. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes; the cake should be golden brown when done. Let cool and then remove the cake from its pan, turning it upside down onto a plate.

link-o-rama

Hello? Anyone still out there? I'm sorry for the lack of posts this week. Having people over for dinner requires you to, you know, be at home. This week has been a whirlwind of celebrity soccer matches, dinners out, and other things keeping me away from the kitchen. However, I'll be back in full force this weekend with a menu I'm excited to share with you soon.

Until then, here's links to a few dinner party-related things I've found interesting lately:

I've never given much thought to ice cubes, but apparently there's a whole method to making superior cubes: How to Make the Best Ice Cubes for Summer Cocktails [via The Kitchn]

Want to make your standard cheese plate more interesting? Here's tips on getting out of a cheese rut: Upgrade Your Cheese [via Serious Eats]

One of my favorite food blogs, Smitten Kitchen, has a nice round-up of summer side dishes that would be great for a BBQ: Dead Simple Slaw and 6 Heat-Wave Reprieves [via Smitten Kitchen]

Blender drinks are back, people! The New York Times says so! So dust off that Cuisinart and whip up some daiquiris: The Pulse of Summer: Blender Drinks Are Back [via the NYT]

Michael Rhulman says he isn't fascinated by dinner parties, and would rather read about the "default meals" that people make at home on weeknights. Harumph. [via Ruhlman.com]

pique-nique

We wanted to have a picnic in Prospect Park Sunday night with our friends Mindi and Tom, but rain clouds rolled in, forcing us to come up with a plan B. Mindi was exhausted from a weekend-long painting project, and I didn't want to go out to eat, so they came over to our place (bearing beer and fresh mint from their landlord's garden—aren't they great?) and we had a low-key indoor picnic. As gorgeous as the park is right now, we didn't have to lug blankets or hide our beer, and we were also able to listen to the new My Morning Jacket album (awesome) and watch the U.S. women's gymnastics trials on TV (scary). As it rained and thundered outside, it felt especially cozy being at home among friends.

Indoor picnic:
Baba ghanoush and potato chips
Linguine with pesto and roasted tomatoes
Tossed salad with fennel, parmesan, and red wine vinagrette
Cookies, berries, and chocolate

Pesto
This recipe has made many, many meals. I've spooned it on grilled fish, pork chops, and crostini, tossed it with vegetables and pasta, and used it as a salad dressing of sorts. Dan also likes eating it straight out of the bowl. For this menu, I added pesto to 2 pounds cooked linguine and tossed in a mix of cherry tomatoes that had been roasted in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.
(Makes about 2 cups)

3 handfuls of basil leaves (about 3 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper, to taste

In a food processor, combine the garlic, pine nuts, and basil. Pulse until slightly pureed. Pour in the olive oil gradually, pulsing with each addition until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice, parmesan, and salt. Taste as you go, making sure it's balanced. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator.

Baba Ghanoush
I served this dip with potato chips but it would also be great with crudite and the classic accompaniment, pita bread.
(Serves 4-6 people)


1 large eggplant
1 1/2 Tbsp. tahini
1 garlic clove, minced
1 minced shallot
2 lemons, juiced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. cumin
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and place it on a baking sheet, cut side down. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes, or until soft. As it is cooking, mix the tahini, shallots. garlic, cilantro, lemon juice, olive oil, and cumin in a large bowl. Remove the eggplant from the oven and let it cool a bit. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon and puree it in a food processor. Pour the puree into the bowl with the other ingredients. Stir until combined and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with chips, pita bread, and crudite, or keep it covered in the refrigerator.

dinner, minus the Post-Its

I like thinking about menus as much as I like cooking. Sitting on the train, or during a lull at work, I'll daydream about dinners I haven't even invited people to, or parties that are weeks away. Skimming produce at the farmer's market triggers all sorts of half-baked ideas. Wouldn't it be great to serve a big bowl of fresh corn salad? But with what? Fish tacos? Shrimp skewers? And more importantly, serve it to whom? Luckily there's always someone to cook for, always some new occasion, or excuse-for-an-occasion party to throw.

But when I have spur-of-the-moment dinner plans that don't involve choosing a restaurant (which can also lead to a deliciously endless decision-making process) it's actually kind of refreshing to choose a few dishes, stick to them, and not sweat the details. All dinner parties require a little amount of planning, but sometimes it's easy to get way too wrapped up in it. Like second-guessing whether people will like something and making fretful last-minute changes. Or meticulously writing out each course on multiple Post-Its, in a very O.C.D. fashion. Yeah, I do this.


On Tuesday, Dan and I made plans with our friend Julie to have dinner at our place Thursday night. Instead of over-thinking (It's just three friends having dinner in the living room, Lisa.) I came up with this menu on my walk home from work. Feeling summery, I decided to make a big panzanella with fresh herbs and tomatoes, and serve it with grilled lamb sausages. Dessert would be Key lime pie. Nothing groundbreaking. No Post-Its were involved. Just a few simple, tasty dishes that could be thrown together as you change out of your work clothes and pour yourself a glass of wine.


Weeknight dinner with Julie:
Prosciutto, three types of cheese (kindly brought by Julie), and cherries
Panzanella
Grilled lamb sausages
Key lime pie

Panzanella
A tweaked version of Ina Garten's recipe for Italian bread salad.
(Serves 6-8 people, or 3 with leftovers)


3 tablespoons olive oil
1 baguette cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
1 teaspoon salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, cut 1/2-inch thick slices
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 shallot thinly sliced
A handful of basil leaves, chopped
A handful of parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained

For the vinaigrette:
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. Champagne vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Toss the bread cubes with the olive oil in a large bowl, then spread them out on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes at 300 degrees, or until golden.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, shallots, herbs, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

Key Lime Pie
This is one of my favorite desserts. And being a Florida girl, I am ultra-picky about it. In my opinion, the best ones have a soft, slightly custardy texture, a graham cracker crust, and are made with real Key limes so they have a pale yellow color (not green). I almost bought a delicious Steve's Key lime pie, but decided against it when I saw that a tiny mini pie was $5. And I like my recipe anyway.
(Serves 6-8 people)

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker or ginger snap crumbs (about 6 oz. of cookies)
6 Tbsp. melted butter
3 Tbsp. sugar

Process the cookies in a food processor until finely ground. In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Stir until combined, then press into a 9-inch pie pan. Set aside.

For the filling:
1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
4 oz. Key lime juice (I like Manhattan brand if you can't find Key limes)

In a bowl, combine the egg yolks and condensed milk and stir until smooth. Gradually pour in the key lime juice, stirring until combined. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Once the pie comes to room temperature, chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. Serve with whipped cream, if desired. I like my key lime pie straight up--or with a meringue topping.

drinks for non-drinkers

It's still too effing hot to cook in our apartment. We've managed to boil water for pasta but other than that, it's just been salad, salad, salad. Whose genius idea was it to start this blog at the beginning of summer, anyway? Oh, right.

Even if it's too muggy to summon an appetite, you can at least enjoy a cool drink. There are many people in my life who avoid alcohol for various reasons so I'm always on the lookout for interesting beverages without liquor. And all the better if they can also double as delicious mixers. Here's two party-tested recipes that are my latest favorites:

Basil lemonade
An herbal twist on a summertime classic. You could also substitute mint, thyme, or lavender for the basil.
(Serves about 6 people)


1 1/2 cups lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 cup water, plus 5 cups cold water (regular or sparkling)
A handful of basil leaves, plus additional for garnish
Ice

Combine sugar, 1 cup water, and basil leaves in a pan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside until cool. When cool, remove the basil leaves, squeezing their juice into the syrup. Juice the lemons into a pitcher. Add the basil syrup and 5 cups of water. Refrigerate until cold. Serve with ice and extra basil leaves in each glass.

Mixers:
- Mix half lemonade with half sparkling wine (Prosecco, Cava, Champagne, etc.)
- Add a shot of vodka and a splash of sparkling wine
- A shot of light rum, gin, or vodka
- A shot of limoncello

Watermelon aguas frescas
(Serves about 6 people)
This drink was inspired by the thirst-quenching fruit drinks served by Latin American food vendors at the fantastic Red Hook soccer fields in Brooklyn. Many stands serve a colorful array of fruit juices—lime, cantaloupe, pineapple, tamarind—ladled out of big glass jars.


6 cups cold watermelon, cut into chunks
1 lime, juiced
1 1-inch piece of ginger, sliced into rounds
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Combine sugar, water, and ginger in a pan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside until cool. When cool, remove the pieces of ginger from the syrup. In a blender, puree the watermelon until it is a smooth liquid. Add the syrup and lime juice and blend until combined. Refrigerate until very cold and serve with ice, if desired.

Mixers:
- A shot of light rum, tequila, Midori, or vodka
- Blend with ice, a shot of tequila, and a shot of triple sec to make a watermelon margarita
- Add a shot of light rum, a squeeze of lime, and a few mint sprigs for a mojito(ish?) drink
- Combine half aguas frescas with half sparkling wine

I need more ideas! What are your favorite summer drinks?

too hot to cook?

So that insane heat wave finally broke, and it is now a balmy 88 degrees in our apartment instead of 108. Perfect for entertaining, right?

Not having a patio or porch or yard (or, um, central A/C), has led me to think about recipes that don't involve cooking with much heat. Or any heat at all. What is dinner party-worthy, other than gazpacho, or salads, or sandwiches? I'm not rolling out sushi, people.

Here's an easy menu, recently made for a weeknight meal with Dan and easily adaptable for a group.

Hot weather dinner:
Summer rolls
Watermelon mojitos

Watermelon, feta, and mint salad
Vietnamese-ish noodle salad with grilled shrimp
Store-bought gelato and sorbet
(I recently discovered Ciao Bella's key lime with graham cracker swirl gelato, and I have to say it's my new favorite flavor. And it's perfect with this menu.)

Watermelon, feta, and mint salad
(Serves about six people)
This is a thrown-together dish, you don't even really need a recipe for it. The bodacious Nigella Lawson serves her version with olives, sliced red onions, and parsley, but I think this is simpler and has more of a salty-sweet balance. The salad can easily be adjusted depending on how many people are eating and whether you're serving this as a side dish with lots of other things, or as the main component of a menu. It's a great thing to bring to a BBQ.


6 cups sliced or cubed watermelon
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Handful of fresh mint, julienned
1-2 limes

Arrange the watermelon on a platter or place it in a bowl. Cut the limes and squeeze their juice over the fruit. Sprinkle the feta over the watermelon and top with mint leaves. Serve immediately.

Vietnamese-ish noodle salad with grilled shrimp
I used to order this all the time until I realized how easy it is to make at home. Rice noodles are cooked and chilled, then tossed with fresh herbs and vegetables in a tangy vinagrette.
(Serves 4 to 6 people)


For the salad:
8 oz. dried rice vermicelli noodles
2 cups diced, seeded cucumber
4 cups thinly sliced nappa cabbage
2 cups thinly sliced fresh snow peas
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup chopped basil
3 scallions, minced
1 cup salted peanuts

2 lbs. shrimp, cleaned and de-shelled
1 lime
2 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
Salt to taste

For the dressing:
1/3 cup Asian fish sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 to 1/2 minced jalapeno (to taste)

In a large bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Add all of the salad ingredients, minus the noodles and peanuts and set aside. Cook the noodles according to package directions, then drain. Run cold water over the noodles until they are cold. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, add the lime juice, oil, and salt to the uncooked shrimp and mix until the shrimp are evenly coated. Cook on a hot grill or grill pan until pink, about five to six minutes.

Add the cooked, cooled noodles to the vegetables and dressing and toss until combined. Divide into bowls or serve in one large bowl, topped with the grilled shrimp and peanuts.

summer sorbet

I have to share one more recipe from Audrey and David. To cool off everyone's mouths from the rendang, they served a homemade strawberry sorbet with a handful of mint leaves on top. It was light, refreshing, and just barely sweet. The perfect summer dessert.

And considering that it has been NINETY EIGHT degrees here in New York, you might want to try subsisting solely on this for awhile. Or bathing in it. Whatever.

Strawberry Sorbet
(Serves about 4-6 people)
2 packages frozen strawberries
1 lemon, zested and juiced
About 3/4 cup simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, heated until dissolved, and cooled)
Mint leaves for garnishing (optional)

Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and zest in food processor. Add simple syrup (and maybe a little water) until the puree is smooth. Can be served immediately, but ideally, it goes in the freezer for a few hours first. It will freeze solid overnight, but it can be thawed.