Our friend Woody Wells drew inspiration for this salad from Judy Rodgers, author of the classic The Zuni Cafe Cookbook. Do not dress the salad until right before serving. For texture make sure the breadcrumbs are coarse, not finely processed.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Ready in: 20 minutes
Serves: 8
INGREDIENTS
Garnish:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
3 Belgian endives, shredded
1 head radicchio, shredded (about 6 cups)
11/4 cups chopped red onion
1 egg, hard-boiled
Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 anchovies, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
METHOD
Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and toast, stirring until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
Place endive and radicchio in a medium bowl with onion. Grate egg over the salad.
Whisk together mustard, anchovies, garlic, vinegar and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss salad with vinaigrette, then breadcrumbs. Serve immediately.
WINE PAIRING
This salad, enticing though it is, will be kind to no wine. Pungent mustard, sharp vinegar, egg, raw onion – that’s quite the arsenal. Best to go with a very crisp, light Mediterranean white. -Beppi Crosariol
Kale and dandelion greens add a bracing bitterness to the salad.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 25 minutes
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
Anchovy vinaigrette:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon finely chopped anchovies
1/4 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Salad:
8 leaves black kale, ribs removed
6 dandelion leaves
1 small head escarole lettuce
2 red Belgian endive, finely sliced
1/4 cup chopped red onions
1/3 cup fried breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
METHOD
Stir olive oil with lemon juice, anchovies and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit for an hour.
Slice kale and dandelion leaves finely and place in large bowl. Tear escarole into small pieces and add to kale along with Belgian endive. Toss in onions, bread crumbs and parsley.
Pour vinaigrette over salad one tbsp at a time, tossing until evenly dressed. Plate salads and sprinkle with extra bread crumbs, if desired.
To fry bread crumbs:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil with 1 small clove chopped garlic. Add 1 cup fresh bread crumbs and fry until browned.
WINE PAIRING
When I think of bitter greens and anchovies, the mind leaps to dry Mediterranean whites. Point yourself at the Italian or Spanish aisles and choose just about any white you can afford. Beppi Crosariol
Lincoln logs made an appearance on The Sopranos when Carmela made Lincoln log sandwiches out of hot dog rolls, hot dogs and cream cheese. Serve this more elegant version on crostini as an hors d’oeuvre.
Prep time: 25 minutes
Ready in: 2 hours 25 minutes, including chilling
Makes: 3 rolls
INGREDIENTS
1 250-gram (8-ounce) package firm cream cheese
1/3 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoons lemon zest
Salt to taste
6 slices prosciutto
METHOD
Combine cream cheese, butter, horseradish, hot pepper sauce, green onions, parsley and lemon zest. Add salt to taste. Divide mixture into three portions, and roll in plastic wrap into 5-inch logs. Chill for one hour.
Overlap two prosciutto slices lengthwise on plastic wrap. Place a log on long side. Roll up using plastic wrap as your guide. Cut off any ends. Repeat with remaining prosciutto and logs. Chill again. Cut into slices for serving.
An elegant take on grilled cheese sandwiches.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ready in: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
10 slices brioche or challah, about 1/4-inch thick
2 tablespoons butter
50 grams (2 ounces) Taleggio cheese
8 thin slices of a tart apple
1/2 cup watercress
METHOD
Cut 12 heart shapes out of brioche using a heart-shaped cutter. Butter one side of each heart. Spread the buttered side of 6 hearts with Taleggio cheese.
Cut hearts out of the apple and place over the cheese. Top the apple with watercress, trimming the edges if needed. Finish with another slice of bread, buttered side down.
Heat remaining butter in skillet over medium heat. Fry sandwiches until golden brown on each side and cheese has melted, about 2 minutes per side.
Serve with either a small side salad or watercress salad dressed with lime, olive oil and a drizzle of honey.
WINE PAIRING
Opposites attract. In truth, I’m not sure that’s always true, whether in love or in wine-and-food matching. But it is the case here. For the gooey, smelly cheese hearts, go with something crisp to keep the palate kissing clean, like a sparkling wine or a crisp white such as Austrian gruner veltliner. -Beppi Crosariol
The San Francisco dining scene, ever dynamic, has a new raft of restaurants to savour. One of the edgiest, State Bird Provisions, has become a darling of both foodies and critics. In addition to a palate-challenging menu bursting with fresh, focused flavours, it has taken to sending interesting small dishes around the restaurant on dim sum trolleys. The concept has proven so popular that it is hard to get reservations, although the restaurant does not book the counter seats, which can be had on a first-come, first-served basis.
This sensual dish of rare tuna mixed with avocado and a scented dressing topped with nori chips is a highlight of State Bird’s menu. The chips are better than any potato chips you will ever have. Black garlic is fermented garlic that can be found in Asian grocery stores, particularly Korean ones. (Roasted garlic is the best substitute.) The tuna is cooked slowly in oil as if making a confit.
Prep time: 1 hour
Ready in: 3 hours, including cooling time
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
Tuna:
500 grams (1 pound) albacore tuna loin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons sweet Spanish paprika
Enough olive oil to cover tuna while poaching (about 2 cups)
Black garlic aioli:
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup grape-seed or olive oil
1 clove black or roasted garlic
1 teaspoon togarashi or chili flakes
1 small clove garlic, grated on a microplane
2 tablespoons tamari or light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
Juice of 1 lime
Nori chips:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 nori sheet, cut into triangles
Olive oil left over from poaching tuna
Salt to taste
Avocado salad:
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon white or light soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 avocado, peeled and cut in chunks
METHOD
To prepare the tuna:
Salt it on both sides, then rub with paprika. Heat oil in a small skillet on low heat. The oil is ready when a cube of bread tossed in bubbles very gently. Immerse tuna and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until tuna is cooked on the outside but still rare in the centre. Remove to a strainer, then to a plate. Let cool completely.
For the aioli:
Whisk egg yolk and slowly add oil to emulsify. Add remaining ingredients and stir until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste.
For the nori chips:
Heat oil in a pot or high-sided skillet big enough to hold the tuna in one layer to 350 F (180 C) or until a cube of bread turns golden in 15 seconds. Meanwhile, dissolve cornstarch in water. Dip a nori triangle into mixture. Immediately fry in oil until crisp (about 30 seconds). Drain on metal rack and season with salt immediately. Cool.
For the salad:
Whisk together lime juice, soy and fish sauce. Toss with avocado chunks in a bowl.
Finally:
Cut tuna into chunks, then toss with avocado and drizzle with aioli. Transfer to four plates, top each serving with chips and garnish with a pinch of sweet paprika.
Beauty’s Bagel Shop in Oakland, Calif., pays homage to Beauty’s in Montreal, where owner Blake Joffe’s father grew up. His savvy take on vegetarian deli food includes an unforgettable egg salad on a Montreal-style bagel that is balanced with salt and does not have that underlying sweetness. Everything is lovingly handmade. For this recipe, use horseradish as a great flavour enhancer. Serve it on bagels for a Sunday brunch or spoon over lots of bitter lettuce as a first course.
Prep time:25 minutes
Ready in: 35 minutes
Serves: 8
INGREDIENTS
10 hard-boiled eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped dill
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 cup horseradish, well drained
Salt and freshly ground pepper
METHOD
Mash eggs with a potato masher or grate with a coarse grater. Combine mayonnaise, celery, red onion, dill, parsley, lemon rind, mustard and horseradish in a medium bowl. Stir in eggs and season with salt and pepper.
WINE PAIRINGS
For egg salad, experience has taught me that you want bold fruitiness to counterbalance the mustard and horseradish here as well as sharp acidity to cut through the mayo. It helps, too, when you’ve got herbaceous notes to resonate with the dill and celery. New Zealand sauvignon blanc meets the criteria, though you can’t go wrong with almost any lean, crisp Mediterranean white. Lightly bitter pilsner is another good option. Beppi Crosariol
Everywhere in Paris, soup garnishes are arranged on the soup plate and the liquid is poured over at the table. It’s an easy, elegant way to serve this soup, inspired by the hearty food at Semilla, another modern bistro.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ready in: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
500 grams (1 pound) Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 3 cups)
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper (preferably white pepper)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 jumbo scallops
METHOD
Heat butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes or until softened. Add Jerusalem artichokes and sauté for 1 minute. Pour in stock and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until artichokes are very tender.
Purée soup using a hand-held blender or food processor until smooth. Return soup to pot, add cream and season with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat. Add scallops and sear 3 minutes or until deep brown. Turn over and then slide skillet off the heat, leaving scallops in the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Scallops need another 2 minutes to finish cooking but will also hold for another 5 minutes, if soup is not yet ready. Pour soup over plated scallops.
WINE PAIRING
A white Burgundy would make a fine Paris match. Slightly creamy and often with an earthy mineral tang, France’s finest chardonnays possess the texture and flavours to dance a pas de deux here. A simple and affordable Macon would be nice, though a higher-end Puligny-Montrachet or Meursault would give these dishes the regal touch. Non-French alternatives: Oregon or British Columbia pinot gris. If you prefer red, try an earthy red Burgundy (a.k.a. pinot noir), with its resonant root-vegetable beet note. - Beppi Crosariol
Le Comptoir in Paris has an intimate vibe and wonderfully tasty food on its set menu. The cheese tray alone is worth the visit. Chef Yves Camdeborde, a leader in the new bistro movement, served this as a luscious first course but it could also accompany a main. Pulse the celeriac in the food processor because you want it chopped like grains of rice.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ready in: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
3 cups diced celeriac
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup mascarpone
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon grated horseradish
1/4 cup milk, warmed
METHOD
Pulse celeriac in a food processor until morsels are slightly larger than a piece of rice. Set aside.
Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add celeriac and cook for another minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add stock and let simmer until liquid has been absorbed and celeriac is tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Add additional spoonfuls of stock if needed. Stir in mascarpone, parsley and Parmesan – the risotto will be saucy.
Beat together horseradish and milk with a hand blender until foamy. Serve risotto in soup plates and garnish with foam.
WINE PAIRING
A white Burgundy would make a fine Paris match. Slightly creamy and often with an earthy mineral tang, France’s finest chardonnays possess the texture and flavours to dance a pas de deux here. A simple and affordable Macon would be nice, though a higher-end Puligny-Montrachet or Meursault would give these dishes the regal touch. Non-French alternatives: Oregon or British Columbia pinot gris. If you prefer red, try an earthy red Burgundy (a.k.a. pinot noir), with its resonant root-vegetable beet note. - Beppi Crosariol
Nothing tastes better to me than a sauté of garlicky mushrooms piled on good bread. Use as many different types of mushrooms as you can find and tear them up. The presentation looks great, but for a more sophisticated take use a puff pastry base. Replace the whipping cream with Greek yogurt, if desired, but do not bring to a boil.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Ready in: 35 minutes
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
4 slices pancetta
1 pound mushrooms such as shiitake, oyster and cremini
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tsp dried
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 slices sourdough bread, toasted
1 tablespoon chopped chives
METHOD
Fry pancetta rounds in a frying pan over medium-high heat until golden and crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
Tear mushrooms into pieces; remove shiitake stems if using. Heat butter in a skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes or until juices have evaporated. Stir in garlic, green onions, mustard and tarragon and combine well. Add wine and cook for 1 minute. Add cream and reduce until mixture is creamy, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and pile on top of sourdough slices. Top with pancetta and chives.
WINE PAIRING
Comfort is the cue here, and that means just about any hearty red wine you love, because most would suit the mushroom-topped toasts. Top choices include gutsy Côtes du Rhône and fuller-bodied merlot or cabernet sauvignon. If you’re on a tight budget to keep you off the post-holiday-spending fiscal cliff, try Italian Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, a steal at often less than $10. - Beppi Crosariol
The spice in the rich pastry highlights the filling, giving it a richer flavour. Comté cheese is a sweet, nutty French cheese that’s popular in cooking right now. If unavailable, gruyère is the best substitute. I make these as galettes for an individual serving for each person. Add a small side salad if you wish.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 25 minutes
Makes: 4 tartlets
INGREDIENTS
Pastry:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup mascarpone
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon allspice
Filling:
1/4 cup chopped pancetta or bacon
2 leeks, dark-green leaves discarded
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup grated comté or gruyère cheese
METHOD
For the pastry:
Combine flour, butter, mascarpone, lemon juice, salt and allspice in a food processor. Pulse until mixture resembles small peas. Remove and knead to bring dough together into a ball. Divide into four pieces. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes.
Roll out pieces of pastry on floured surface into six-inch circles. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill pastry while making filling. Preheat oven to 350 F.
For the filling:
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and sauté for two to four minutes or until slightly crispy. Add leeks and cook for eight to 10 minutes or until softened and slightly golden. Add cream and thyme. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Cool. Season well with salt and pepper and stir in 1/2 cup grated cheese.
Divide and mound mixture over pastry circles, leaving a one-inch overhang. Fold the edge over the filling, overlapping as you fold. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese over the filling. Bake for 25 minutes or until pastry is pale gold and mixture is bubbling. Serve warm or at room temperature.