Greek Pasta Salad

Whenever I think of summer, I always remember the backyard parties and picnics my mom used to host just around my birthday in July. She always fried up batches of chicken while my dad grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. The menus never changed much from year to year. So I could always expect there to be potato salad and pasta salad. What would a backyard barbecue be without them? I do love those types of "picnic" salads, but they're usually laden with mayonnaise and oftentimes pretty flavorless. I'm a bit more creative now with my pasta salads. I eschew the macaroni for penne, and make a very flavorful vinaigrette in place of the gloppy mayo. One of my favorite standbys is Greek-style pasta salad.

I love all Mediterranean flavors, but especially the salty and briny flavors of feta and olives. This pasta salad wouldn't be Greek without them. Fresh oregano and red-wine vinegar also help to make this salad feel truly Greek. The best part is the time it takes for this salad to come together, which is just about the time it takes to cook the pasta, 10 minutes. Assemble the salad warm so that the feta melts into the pasta and the pasta absorbs the vinaigrette. Chill if you like, but it's just as good—if not more flavorful—warm. It couldn't be easier to feed a crowd with a big batch pasta salad this coming Memorial Day.

Greek Pasta Salad

Note: For this recipe I like small penne with ridges. It absorbs the flavors of the vinaigrette better than a smooth pasta.

1 pound mezze penne or pennette rigate
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice (about half lemon)
1 small shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces feta, crumbled
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup green and black kalamata olives, pitted

Cook penne according to package directions in a large pot of liberally salted water until al dente.

While pasta cooks, make vinaigrette. In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine vinegar, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, and salt. Let macerate for 5 minutes. Add pepper, oregano, and whisk in olive oil.

Drain pasta and return to pot. Add crumbled feta, tomatoes, bell pepper, and olives. Toss to combine. Pour over with vinaigrette and toss again to combine. Serve warm or chilled. Yield 6 to 8 servings.

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Jerk Chicken Breasts with Sautéed Mustard Greens

When you think of Jamaica, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Besides beautiful beaches and vacation spots, Jamaica offers amazing food and culture. One of their most popular imports is the method of jerk, which can be applied to everything from seafood to meat. It produces the most succulent and tender meat, not to mention hot and spicy! You'll find jerk stands throughout the Caribbean—as it's practically their form of fast food. That's the best part about jerk—once you've made the rub and marinated the meat overnight, it's ready for grilling. There couldn't be an easier dish for feeding a ravenous crowd this upcoming Memorial day weekend.

Barbecuing is synonymous with Memorial day as well as jerk. Traditionally it's either smoked in open pits or barbecued in steel drum grills. Here in the States, where jerk has been popular for many years, it's either oven-roasted or grilled over charcoal or gas. What sets jerk apart from any other type of barbecue is its particular blend of spices, including the essential allspice, which is called pimento in Jamaica. There they not only grind the dried berries for the jerk rub, but they also use the pimento wood and leaves for smoking the meat. The next most important ingredient is Scotch bonnet pepper. As you can imagine it provides a lot of heat. Jerk wouldn't be jerk without some form of heat, making you sweat and cool down in a hot Caribbean climate.

Jerk is not limited to just chicken. Any meats can be used, but chicken or pork is traditional. Lately fish and shellfish have become popular. Serve the finished dish with rice, salad, or slaw. But here I pair the jerk with a Southern favorite, mustard greens. Raw, mustard greens taste just like mustard or even horseradish. Cooked, their taste mellows a bit but remains a bit bitter and peppery almost like arugula. The flavors of hot, spicy, and sweet jerk chicken and peppery greens are a perfect combination. Keep your cool this coming weekend and celebrate the start of summer.

Jerk Chicken Breasts

for the jerk marinade:
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 Scotch bonnet or habanero chiles, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (about 1-inch piece)
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground white pepper
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice (about 2 oranges)
1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
1/4 cup malt vinegar
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark rum

for the chicken:
6 to 12 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
canola oil

For the jerk marinade, combine all ingredeints in a blender and purée until smooth. Yield: 4 cups.

Use 2 cups marinade for 6 breasts or all 4 cups marinade for 12 breasts.

Add marinade and chicken to a large resealable plastic bag. Seal, place on a plate to capture any leaks, and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Preheat a grill or grill pan at medium-high to high heat. Once grill is hot, moisten a paper towel with oil and wipe down grates.

Remove chicken breasts from marinade, one at a time, and place on grill. Discard marinade. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Yield 6 to 12 servings.

Sautéed Mustard Greens

2 tablespons olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 pounds mustard greens, thoroughly washed, and chopped
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Warm oil in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add mustard greens and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Uncover and allow any residual liquid to evaporate. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

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Crispy Pan-Seared Salmon with Sautéed Fiddlehead Ferns and Dill Sauce

One cooking feat that has eluded me until now is searing fish with extra crispy skin. I've finally managed to do it after much experimentation and lamentation. After eating so many fish dishes with crispy skin in restaurants, some so crispy that it seemed I was eating a potato chip, I've wanted to try cooking it myself. The technique I use here is a lot like the one used for roasting chicken, where you smear it with butter before setting it in the oven to ensure a crispy brown skin. Here I smear the salmon skin with butter and sear it skin-side down. The result is not only crispy but also a lovely brown—it's just delicious.

For a unique springtime pairing, I adore fiddlehead ferns, which can only be found in early spring. You won't necessarily find them at the market since they're harvested in the wild, but more likely at the farmers' market. But it just so happens that I did find mine at my local supermarket to my surprise. They were so beautiful that I couldn't resist buying a bagful. They look quite funny, because they're actually furled fern leaves. Don't worry, they are edible. Some say they taste like a cross between asparagus and artichoke, but I think they taste even better—of fresh spring.

To prepare fiddleheads for cooking, soak them in a few changes of water to remove any sand or dirt. Trim off the brown stem ends. Let them air dry or spin dry in a salad spinner. They can be steamed in a steamer basket, boiled, or blanched. I like to start them in a sauté pan, then steam for a bit, and then continue to cook them with garlic for additional flavor. The fiddleheads will turn a brighter green once cooked.

Crispy Pan-Seared Salmon with Sautéed Fiddlehead Ferns and Dill Sauce

for the pan-seared salmon:
2 6-ounce salmon fillet pieces, about 2-inches thick
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon canola oil

for the sautéed fiddlehead ferns:
3/4 pound fiddlehead ferns, stems trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

for the dill sauce:
1/4 cup crème fraîche
1 tablespoon lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
fine sea salt
dill sprigs, for garnish

To prepare the salmon, remove any pin bones using tweezers. Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Liberally season pieces with salt and pepper. Let stand for few minutes before spreading skin side with 1/2 tablespoon butter per fillet. Warm oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add fish and sear skin side for 5 minutes. Turn and sear flesh side until cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Use a long flexible spatula to handle fish.

To cook the fiddleheads, warm a large sauté pan set over medium heat. Add ferns and 3 tablespoons of water. Cover and steam until tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and allow any residual liquid to evaporate. Once pan is dry, add oil and garlic; sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

To make the dill sauce, combine crème fraîche, lemon juice, and dill. Season with salt. To assemble, divide fiddelehads between two plates, top with salmon, and drizzle sauce over fish. Garnish with sprigs of dill. Yield: 2 servings.

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Pad Thai with Shrimp and Fried Tofu

It's hard to find a person who doesn't love Thai food. There's something unique about a cuisine that can excellently combine the tastes of salty, sweet, and sour, which makes one's tongue do somersaults of sheer joy. One dish in particular is more popular than ever and that is Pad Thai. It's so good that it's considered the national dish of Thailand. Every time I eat at a Thai restaurant, it seems everyone at my table—and sometimes the entire restaurant—orders it. Even though I try to convince my friends to eat something new, they always go for it. The dish has a comforting allure that's hard to deny.

In Thailand Pad Thai is a favorite street food. Each vendor has their own special recipe, but the main ingredients are almost always the same. There's tamarind for sourness, palm sugar for sweetness, fish sauce for saltines, and bean sprouts for crispiness. The noodles are broad rice noodles and the protein is typically a selection or combination of tofu, shrimp, and/or chicken. For my take on pad Thai, I add cabbage for more crunch and texture and I fry cubes of tofu in addition to shrimp. It's all topped with chopped peanuts, which is a crunchy requirement. The next time when you're in the mood for Pad Thai, why not attempt making this dish at home? With this recipe, anyone can host friends for an evening of Pad Thai.

Pad Thai with Shrimp and Fried Tofu

1 8-ounce package firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 ounces rice sticks (banh pho)
3 tablespoons tamarind paste
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
2 tablespoons palm sugar or light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon Thai chile powder
canola oil, for stir-frying
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 large eggs
4 scallions, sliced on the bias
1 small head Napa cabbage, shredded
3 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts, for serving
lime wedges, for serving
sliced scallions, for garnish
cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Place tofu cubes on a plate lined with paper towels. Top with paper towels and another plate. Weigh down with additional plates. Repeat pressings two more times with fresh paper towels until tofu releases almost no liquid.

Add rice sticks to a bowl and cover with 5 cups boiling water. Soak, submerged with a small plate, for 7 minutes. Drain pasta.

Combine tamarind paste, fish sauce, sugar, and chile powder in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until sugar is dissolved.

Warm about 1/2-inch oil in a well-seasoned wok or large nonstick sauté pan set over medium-high to high heat. Add tofu and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on a tray lined with paper towels. Pour out oil and wipe out wok.

Add fresh oil to wok. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook until pink, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Refresh oil. Add eggs and stir to scramble until done. Add scallions, cabbage, and bean sprouts; sauté until cabbage wilts, about 3 minutes. Add fried tofu, cooked shrimp, and drained rice sticks. Pour in sauce mixture. Toss to combine and simmer until noodles absorb sauce. Serve immediately with chopped peanuts and wedges of lime. Garnish with sliced scallions and sprigs of cilantro. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

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Vietnamese Crêpes Filled with Shrimp, Pork, Bean Sprouts, and Mushrooms

I love crêpes, the paper-thin crispy dessert pancakes so famous in France. But crêpes are not limited to just France. Many countries throughout Europe, Asia, and even Africa have some sort of thin pancake. If you think about it, tortillas from Mexico are sort of like crêpes too. I grew up eating jelly-filled Hungarian crêpes or palacsinta made by my mother. I can't imagine a speical family dinner without them. There are also savory crêpes in Hungarian cuisine as well as French. One of the most famous savory crêpes in Asian cuisine is the Vietnamese crêpe or Bánh xèo. It is well known as a fast street food as well as a comfort food cooked by moms at home.

Bánh xèo are made out of mainly rice flour and water. Turmeric powder or saffron powder is added for a bright yellow color. Coconut milk or coconut water is sometimes used instead of tap water to add a touch of sweetness. I add eggs to the mixture to make the batter bind together better and produce a much less cakey pancake. The filling always has pork—usually pork belly, shrimp, and bean sprouts. I use lean pork tenderloin. Serve it alongside lettuce greens, fresh herbs, and the traditional dipping sauce. You can try to eat it with chopsticks like the locals do, but I like to tear of a piece, wrap it in lettuce, dip it into the sauce, and bite right in. It's an explosion of salty, sweet, and sour flavors and crispy, crunchy, and soft textures.

Vietnamese Crêpes Filled with Shrimp, Pork, Bean Sprouts, and Mushrooms

for the crêpe batter:
3/4 cup coconut water or tap water
1/3 cup white rice flour
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 scallion, thinly sliced on the bias

for the filling:
1/4 pound thinly sliced pork loin (from a 1-pound tenderloin)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 pound medium shrimp, shelled, deveined, and halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc cham)
1-1/2 cups bean sprouts
1-1/2 cups thinly sliced shitake mushrooms

for serving:
dipping sauce, recipe follows
green leaf or bibb lettuce, torn into leaves
fresh cilantro, basil, or mint

To make crêpe batter, combine coconut water, rice flour, eggs, and turmeric in a large measuring cup. Beat with a fork until thoroughly combined. Stir in sliced scallion. Chill for up to 30 minutes.

To prepare filling, Combine pork slices and soy sauce in a small bowl and combine shrimp and fish sauce in a second bowl. Let marinate in refrigerator for up to 30 minutes.

Warm tablespoon oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Sauté pork slices until cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove to a clean bowl. Refresh oil and add shrimp to pan; sauté until pink, about 3 minutes. Remove to a clean bowl.

Set 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add teaspoon oil. Use a brush to spread oil in pan. Stir batter as rice flour has tendency to settle. Pour in about 1/4 cup batter to pan, swirling to coat bottom. Fry until crêpe edges begin to release from pan, about 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cooked pork and 1/4 shrimp to half side of crêpe. Top with 1/4 bean sprouts and 1/4 mushrooms. Cover and let warm through for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove cover and use spatula to fold crêpe over filling. Move to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter, making sure to stir batter before pouring into pan. Serve crêpes with dipping sauce, lettuce leaves, and sprigs of herbs. Yield: 4 (or maybe 5) crêpes.

Dipping Sauce

Note: Soy sauce is not a traditional ingredient in this dipping sauce, but I like it for the briny flavor and dark color.

1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc cham)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 large garlic clove, finely minced
1 small red Thai bird chile, finely minced or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Combine lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, and chile in a small bowl. Yield: 1 cup.

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ABC Kitchen

Jean-Georges Vongerichten has managed to open two restaurants in just a matter of weeks in March. But ABC Kitchen, with its focus on farm-fresh food has taken his full attention and is his first foray into farm-to-table dining. After previous restaurants in the space failed, ABC Carpet and Home brought in Jean-Georges to carry forth their “green” mantra. At first glance, the restaurant's decor without a doubt reflects the look of the department store in which the restaurant is housed. For some reason I had thought that this being a Jean-Georges space, the restaurant would be absolutely formal, but I was proven completely wrong. The servers’ plaid shirts, jeans, and sneakers were among the first signs that this is a casual space.

From the reclaimed light fixtures and ceiling beams to the antique and mismatched flatware and locally produced dinnerware, all signs echo the recycle, reuse, and locavore ideology that ABC Home proudly maintains. (And if you’re interested in recreating the restaurant’s look at home, all the finishes are available for purchase.) The space has a very clean, shabby-chic look that utilizes white on white and brown on brown all in an effort to be green. The floors are white washed and the chairs and tables white plastic, while the beams are rough, brown, and bulky. There is no real softness in this hard contemporary space. We were early enough in the evening that we didn’t need to worry about noisiness—a consequence of hard spaces, even though I could hear every footfall from above and below. I couldn’t help but think about George Prochnik’s article in The Daily Beast.

ABC Kitchen tries to purchase all its ingredients from local sources, from organic and sustainable farms, much like many of the restaurants in the area that follow the farm-to-table philosophy, which lately has become somewhat of a gimmick of New York restaurants. Much of the produce is locally grown by farmers who sell just blocks away in Union Square’s Greenmarket. A table named the "market table" with its own menu is positioned just by the kitchen doors, displaying that particular morning's fresh finds. The menu therefore changes almost daily, so that produce in season replaces ingredients that are no longer available. Inherently the menu stays the same except for subtleties of season. But don’t most restaurants nowadays follow this procedure? And if you hadn’t realized this restaurant's schtick by the time you’ve entered, the recycled cardboard menus make it known with an entire write-up concerning the restaurant’s philosophy and practices. But after you’ve gotten past the gimmick and have tasted the food, you soon begin to realize there might just be something brilliant there.

My gourmand friend and feminist blogger, Amanda, and I decided to try ABC Kitchen just last week on an exemplary first of May spring day. We decided to forgo our usual alcohol consumption since it was a rather hot day, which already had us tired—and combined with my allergy medication, one drink would have put me right out. Luckily ABC has a nice selection of house-made sodas, something that I’ve never seen on a restaurant menu. It was suggested to us after we stated we would take no alcohol. We ordered the ginger-lemon and basil-lime sodas. They were both very good drinks and I was enamored with the basil-lime concoction. I truly do think that basil makes an excellent pairing with sweet profiles.

The menu features an excellent selection of fish, such as bass, arctic char, and cod. For me fish dishes at any of Jean-Georges’ restaurants are usually the best and most enjoyable. There’s something magical about the chef’s handling of seafood. Flavors are always spectacular, sometimes subtle and layered, other times robust and umami. I ordered the raw shaved fluke with grapefruit segments and tarragon for an appetizer. The previous menu paired the fluke with blood oranges—too bad the season is over. Drizzled with olive oil and dusted with pepper, the dish is a simple and refreshing start to dinner. And I couldn't have enjoyed it more than I did by sopping up all the juices with extra bread. Obviously I let my manners slide here, but I was feeling casual.

The restaurant’s pork comes from upstate New York's Flying Pigs Farm, which has a very popular stand at the market. Amanda, by my goading, ordered the pan-seared pork terrine. As soon as the dish came out, we thought the server brought us the wrong dish, because it looked like deep-fried hamburgers. I commented that they looked just like my mom’s Hungarian fasírt. But it was in fact the terrine, a full-flavored and slightly salty terrine with all the right porky notes, perfectly paired with peppery arugula and sherry vinaigrette. How did I not order it for myself?

We both decided to order fish dishes for our entrées. I knew before I set foot in the place that I’d order fish. It was just a question of which fish to order, so I posed it to our friendly server. She highly recommended the sautéed arctic char with crispy skin coated in garlic crumbs. The fish was lean and meaty—it felt as though I was eating a steak. I've had arctic char many times before, but this was one of my favorite preparations of it. Here it was paired with simply sautéed broccoli rabe. The previous menu paired it with romanesco. The black bass with red potatoes and spinach in broth was what the server called, a signature Jean-Georges dish. The broth was absolutely the best and most flavorful part of the dish. It had that umami quality that hit all spots of the palate. Luckily a spoon was provided, which I didn't hesitate in taking from Amanda.

Specials of the day are specifically chosen from fresh, locally available ingredients. The day of my visit had fiddlehead ferns and ramps on the menu. I've never eaten fiddlehead ferns and hadn't seen them at the market this season at all, probably because the chefs buy them all up before I get to the market. The fiddleheads were roasted in the wood oven with just garlic and scallions. They tasted of spring, as they should. The ramps were offered as an appetizer of ramp pesto on bruschetta or a pasta course of freshly made cavatelli with ramps and peas. I could have easily ordered all the specials that day, but didn’t want to take it overboard. Trying fiddleheads for the first time was a just-enough highlight.

I can never leave an establishment without at least attempting to eat dessert even though we were both entirely full by this point, barely able to finish our entrées. Desserts are offered ranging from toasted oat buttermilk pannacotta to salted caramel ice cream and there are standby selections of carrot or chocolate cake and lemon, pear, or apple tart. The chocolate cake was by all means a typical chocolate cake, not unlike a good box mix. What made it atypical was the gooey toasted marshmallow frosting. The cake was light and fluffy and rather moist. It was a safe-choice dessert. What really stole the show was the plate of caramel-filled doughnuts. I haven't had good doughnuts since the beignets at the Bar Room. I have since held all doughnuts to that standard. So I made sure to ask the server about the quality of their doughnuts prior to ordering. These were airy, cloudy, and sugary. Each doughnut was a soft sponge of perfectly fried dough, rolled in fine sugar, and filled with sweet oozing caramel. I dove right in with my face covered in sugar. I could have eaten a platter full. I didn't even need the chocolate sauce at all! The original menu paired the doughnuts with blood orange marmalade, which would have been the better match.

At ABC Kitchen, once you get past the "green" rustic-chic décor and the slightly gimmicky farm-to-table philosophy, you’re really only left with very good food with very good flavors, highlighting fresh produce from exceptional farmers. Here the ingredients speak volumes, louder than even the noisiness of the dining room. Try a dish from that day's specials menu or the regular menu and you will see that every effort has been made to bring out the naturalness of the produce or product without disguising it or unrecognizably manipulating it. The food is simple, palate pleasing, and truly soul satisfying all from a chef-master in the kitchen.

ABC Kitchen
35 East 18th Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue
New York, NY 10003
212-475-5829
Open daily for dinner, Sunday through Thursday, 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. and Friday through Saturday, 5:30 to 11:30 p.m.
Appetizers range in price from $8 to $13 and entrées from $21 to $35.

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Breakfast Bread Pudding with Brown Sugar Bacon

Who doesn't love French toast and who doesn't love bread pudding? Bread pudding was one of my favorite things to eat during my studies in London. At every restaurant I'd order it for dessert. The British traditionally pour theirs over with custard, but I like it with maple syrup. It's basically baked French toast anyway, so then why not enjoy it for breakfast? Toasty on the top and creamy on the inside, it's a pudding to dive right into and devour. What a perfect dish to delight mom on Mother's Day this coming Sunday.

Bread pudding is such an easy dish to put together. But to get the best results, soak the bread cubes in the custard mixture overnight. Then in the morning, add a bit more custard to make it extra rich and creamy in the end. Pair it with sweet and savory brown sugar bacon baked in the oven and you have a hearty breakfast for mom. But best of all, kids can also help out (with limited adult supervision) since everything is easily baked. Mom will not only be happy but proud as well.

Breakfast Bread Pudding

Note: For family-style service, I like to bake the bread pudding in a large casserole, but baking individual bread puddings is a bit more elegant.

1 tablespoon butter
1 16-ounce loaf Brioche, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2-1/2 plus 1-1/2 cups whole milk
6 plus 2 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
maple syrup, for serving

Butter a 2-quart baking dish or 6 10-ounce custard cups or small baking dishes. Add bread cubes.

In a large measuring cup or bowl, beat together 2-1/2 cups milk, 6 eggs, and sugar. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla. Pour over bread, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In the morning, beat together remaining 1-1/2 cups milk and 2 eggs. Pour over bread. Tent with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for another 30 minutes. Bread should be puffed and custard set. Let cool slightly before serving with maple syrup. Yield: 6 servings.

Brown Sugar Bacon

1 16-ounce package thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon
1/3 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay bacon on paper. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake until bacon is crisp and sugar is syrupy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Yield: 6 servings.

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Black Bean Nachos

Among all the international foods enjoyed in this country, Mexican food is one of the most popular. It's hard not to love Mexican food: the spiciness, complex and earthy flavors, and multiple textures. It's truly soul-satisfying comfort food. And why shouldn't we like the food of our neighbors? Though we don't always behave so neighborly. With all that's happening right now with Arizona's proposed new immigration law, we can't forget that immigrants built this nation and Mexican-Americans have contributed much to this country.

Today is Cinco de Mayo, the fifth of May, the day that commemorates the Mexican defeat of the French army in Peubla in 1862. In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is not an official holiday and it's not often celebrated. Here in the States we celebrate it as a day of Mexican heritage with lots of food and drink. And what's a Mexican celebration without those two party necessities? This traditional Mexican snack/appetizer consists of tortilla chips topped with black beans and queso, placed under the broiler so the cheese turns oozy. It's all topped with chunks of tomato and avocado, sliced scallions, and pickled jalapeños. This party food is meant to go with drinks, so grab some Margaritas and dig in.

Black Bean Nachos

Note: I prefer cooking my own black beans from dried, but canned black beans would also work in this recipe. Be sure to drain the canned beans and rinse under water.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 large garlic clove, grated
2 cups cooked black beans, recipe follows
1/2 cup bean cooking liquid or chicken broth
6 ounces tortilla chips
1 cup shredded Queso Quesadilla or Monterey Jack
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1 Haas avocado, cubed
1/4 cup pickled sliced jalapeños
4 scallions, sliced on the bias
cilantro leaves, for garnish
crema or sour cream, for serving
lime wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to broil.

Warm oil in a sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Add chile powder and garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add black beans and broth. Simmer until most liquid evaporates. Mash a portion of the beans.

Place tortilla chips in a large baking dish. Top with beans and cheese. Place under broiler just until cheese is melted, no more than 5 minutes.

Scatter tomato, avocado, and scallions over tortillas. Garnish with cilantro and serve with crema and lime wedges. Yield: 6 appetizer portions.

Black Beans

1/2 pound dried black beans
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
fine sea salt

Soak beans in 4 cups of cold water overnight. The next day, drain beans and rinse. Combine beans, stock, and bay leaf in a pot set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, partially cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until beans are tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper halfway through the cooking time. Discard bay leaf. Drain beans. Yield: 4 cups beans.

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Fettuccine with Ramp Pesto

Every year with the arrival of spring comes the short-lived season of ramps. From about April to May ramps are available in farmers' markets in the Northeast. Here people go crazy over ramps. Sometimes I wonder why they're loved so much. Last year I cooked and pickled ramps for the first time and grew very fond of them. Ramps are unique in that they're harvested from the wild. If you know where to find them or know of a forager who can find them for you, then you're very lucky to get them for free. But the rest of us have to buy them at the market.

This past Saturday I visited the Union Square Greenmarket and was excited to find ramps still available at one of the market's best stands. Mountain Sweet Berry Farm is know for their stellar ramps. You can't miss them, they have a very large ideas board on display that includes recipes for ramps from local chefs. So if you're ever in the city this month, stop by the market and look for the long line of customers and the board of famous scribbled recipes. Not only will you grab a bunch of these unusual edibles, but you might pick up a few new cooking ideas. Read more about ramps and see the board in this great article at Leite's Culinaria.



Ramps have bright white bulbs, purple stems, and broad green leaves that resemble tulip leaves. They have a pungent flavor not unlike garlic. I'm a lover of all things garlic and onion, so enjoying them raw or semicooked is not a problem for me. That's why this year, inspired by Marc at No Recipes, I decided to make a raw ramp pesto to toss with pasta. For an appetizer, the pesto works great spread on crostini and then drizzled with quality olive oil. If you're a lover of all things onion, this is the recipe for you.

Fettuccine with Ramp Pesto

Tip: Choose ramps that are small and tender. Their flavor will be milder in this recipe, which uses them raw. Any nuts will work in this recipe, but I like almonds for their mellow flavor.

1 pound fettuccine
20 whole ramps, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup raw almonds, toasted in a dry pan
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/2 cup olive oil

Cook fettuccine according to package directions in liberally salted water until al dente.

Meanwhile, combine ramps, almonds, cheese, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely ground. Stream in oil and process until smooth paste forms.

Drain pasta. Return to pot and stir in pesto. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

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