My friends Anne and Michael live in London, and during a recent visit stateside, they introduced me to the term "butler's salad," which apparently refers to a salad comprised of pantry (or refrigerator) odds and ends. I couldn't get enough of Anne's butler's salad, and ever since that visit I've been inspired to eat a lot more greens (and make use of random leftovers from the fridge). However, given the frequency with which I'm now consuming salad and the fact that I'm often assembling while carrying baby Violet, I've also found it super helpful to do some prep work in advance. Here are my 4 steps to building an awesome butler's salad:My friends Anne and Michael live in London, and during a recent visit stateside, they introduced me to the term "butler's salad," which apparently refers to a salad comprised of pantry (or refrigerator) odds and ends. I couldn't get enough of Anne's butler's salad, and ever since that visit I've been inspired to eat a lot more greens (and make use of random leftovers from the fridge). However, given the frequency with which I'm now consuming salad and the fact that I'm often assembling while carrying baby Violet, I've also found it super helpful to do some prep work in advance. Here are my 4 steps to building an awesome butler's salad:
A couple of months ago I discovered how remarkably easy it is to make éclairs. Today, Kate shares the how-to on the éclair's petit cousin, the profiterole:
Profiteroles are one of those show-off, special-occasion dishes that restaurants include on their menus as a way to both wow diners and remind them that restaurant cooking is different -- better, fancier, more complex -- than at-home cooking. I've always loved profiteroles, loved the production of having them served to me, loved the waterfall of chocolate sauce, and loved the perfect combo of cold ice cream and hot pastry shell (word to chefs everywhere: never, ever serve profiteroles with cold pastry shells).
Over the holiday weekend we had friends over for our first grilling and chilling of the season and as I was flipping through American Bistro for inspiration, I decided to try Diane Rossen Worthington's herbed garlic cheese bread. Even though I didn't have all the ingredients (Whole Foods was out of thyme and oregano) and messed up the assembly a bit (chalk it up to long weekend brain haze), the bread was spectacular -- a hit with kids and grownups alike. Below is the annotated recipe -- enjoy!
I recently saw Jennifer of Savoring the Thyme post about her family's Meatless May and it reminded me of something I wanted to share. A couple of months ago, Laurel became very concerned about animals -- or rather, human consumption of them. She asked whether we could help the environment and the animals and start eating vegetarian one week per month. We tried it and found it surprisingly easy, and that the experiment rendered other benefits.
Though Laurel has been more experimental with vegetables since we embarked on our CSA journey last year, green vegetables (save cucumbers) remain a sticking point. Until recently, when my sister Jenn brought over a spinach pie and Laurel shocked me by both offering to try it (usually I have to ask) and loving it. So of course I was eager to find an easy recipe to take advantage of this new love. And I found it in Nick Stellino's Mediterranean Flavors (notably also the source of this moussaka recipe Laurel loves).
Today, Kate shares a great local spot for sweet and savory treats, and a cookbook that will allow you to recreate tasty treats at home:
One of the many great things about living in the Boston area is getting to enjoy Joanne Chang's wonderful Flour Bakery + Cafe. Chang is a pastry chef and entrepreneur, and a devotee of all things baked and frosted and all-around yummy. Each of the three locations of Flour (Cambridge, Fort Point, the South End) is a happy haven in which to sit, relax, and enjoy a range of sandwiches, salads, and lots and lots of baked goods. Chang is committed to using real foods and fresh ingredients -- none of your pre-packaged, over-oily muffins and scones here -- and to helping people to learn how to bake well at home.
In the weeks following Violet's birth, I have been utterly touched by the kindness and generosity of many people, and Jon has encouraged me time and again to not be too proud -- to take people up on their offers to help. Even so, shortly before the April break, I was hesitant to accept a dinner drop off offer from my friends Eli and Sheri of Magic Beans, given that they have three kids, four stores, and -- judging from the time stamps on e-mails I have exchanged with Sheri in the past -- apparently never sleep. But, well, I'm really glad I did.
Truly, one of the best postpartum gifts imaginable is the gift of food. And on Thursday, when it was cold and rainy out, my friend Jen kindly brought over a Harrows chicken pie (+ rolls) that totally hit the spot. Impressively loaded with white meat, carrots, and potatoes (no mystery fillers of the frozen pot pies of my youth here...), all I needed to do was pop the pie in the oven (I recommend placing the pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips) and within an hour the house smelled fantastic and Jon, Laurel, and I were happily indulging in a wonderfully warm and comforting dinner.
I had a bit of a rough week last week and the baby shower my friend Heidi hosted for me this past weekend was a wonderful antidote, making me feel enormously grateful for the happy energy and wonderful people I have in my life. And I wanted to share the theme -- a secondhand baby shower (because I'm an eco-geek and because I have many friends who are done having babies and were eager to pass things along) -- plus some great leads from Heidi's planning. Here's how it all came down the pike:
Today, from Jules, an easy, creamy (and better for you) mac and cheese recipe that very well may be my next casserole patrol contribution:
I'm really into Greek yogurt. Why was I so resistant to it before? It's low in (or devoid of) fat, free of sugar, super high in calcium, and really versatile. My kids and I love the creaminess of it and when I drizzle it with honey or maple syrup and add nuts, granola, or fruit, it becomes a serious treat for breakfast. Greek yogurt also is a great recipe ingredient, even on the savory spectrum.
I have some friends from the Midwest who joke regularly about the awful (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) casseroles they grew up on, but there is something so wonderfully easy and practical about the concept of one-dish meals that cover the protein, veggie, and starch angles. This week I was on "casserole patrol" duty to help a friend in need and was utterly thrilled with this Shepherd's Pie recipe from Martha Stewart. Easy to knock together (I made it while entertaining Laurel and a friend) and amenable to adjustments, here are a couple of notes about the recipe:
Evadne was too polite to share this, but we were the guests at her brunch, and I ate three servings of this bread pudding, it was so good! See my additional comments at the end of the post:
My husband, the true chef in our family, loves this time of year because he enjoys making warm, hearty foods like stews, braises, and pies. And I love this season because I get to eat what he makes! Recently we had some friends over and he made bread pudding, taking the recipe from his favorite go-to cookbook, Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything.
Though I found myself a tad depleted at the end of the whirlwind of holiday gatherings and guests we hosted, one thing I love about entertaining is assembling menus and trying out new recipes. (Admittedly -- perhaps not surprisingly given yesterday's tooth fairy post -- I created an Excel based project plan to keep track of the various menus and prep schedules.) And of all the new recipes I tried this holiday season, there were three Martha Stewart recipes that were fantastic and easy. They're my new favorite appetizers and now get real estate in my recipe binders (yes, I have binders) and I wanted to be sure to share them with you.
Though Laurel now eats a lot more variety than she used to, I still experience a major thrill of victory when I cook a "grownup" meal that she actually loves. Such was the case last week when I decided to whip up lasagna for a casual dinner gathering. There are several things I love about this dish. 1. It's easy. 2. It's awesome (actually, wicked awesome). 3. I ended up tossing in tofu to bump up the protein and because we had a half block kicking around the fridge and no one even noticed it was in there. 4. The béchamel sauce makes it classy and deliciously creamy and is a nice alternative to ricotta. 5. It can be prepped the night before for low stress weekday meals. 6. It renders leftovers. Here's the how to:
Today, Kate offers fine fodder to inspire baking this week. As always, I recommend involving your kids in the process, whether it's dumping, measuring, and/or mixing:
This recipe -- based on Abigail Johnson Dodge's toasted almond cookies in The Weekend Baker: Irresistible Recipes, Simple Techniques, and Stress-Free Strategies for Busy People -- arose out of my desire to use up ingredients lingering in my cupboard and has since evolved into one of my favorite treats. Easy and quick to make, fine to freeze, and popular with guests and hosts alike, these cookies provide a great balance of sweet, nutty, and tart.
Thanks to Jules, now I know what to do with this week's abundance of zucchini from the CSA:
My friend recently gave me a zucchini from her garden -- a 20 pounder! I mulled over what to do with this massive gem; zucchini parmesan didn't feel original enough and I wanted to highlight the zucchini's tender and mild flavor. So here, inspired by the flavors of Greece, I've come up with a light but satisfying zucchini stack (served either as a side dish or entrée) that transports you to a happy place after a long day. I recommend enjoying this dish outside.
One thing I adore about the return of cool fall weather is baking. And this week Laurel and I busted out our first batch of fall cookies. We decided to try something new: the chocolate-chocolate chunk cookies from Lori Longbotham's Luscious Chocolate Desserts. Despite being a little concerned about the consistency while we were making them (the batter was rather loose, not like typical cookie dough that you can roll in your hands), the cookies turned out divine -- rich, chocolate-y, and distinctly reminiscent of its baked good cousin the brownie. I highly recommend you make a batch this weekend.