Celery Apple Salad with Toasted Walnuts

As 2014 comes to a close, I'd like to finish the year by talking salad. If you're like most people, this conjures up images of lettuce leaves, perhaps with tomato wedges and cucumber slices, coated in dressing. While I adore green salads (from fresh heads of lettuce and scratch dressing), I'd like to inspire you to think beyond the leaf. 

If I had it my way, I'd have some type of salad (celery root, carrot, raw beet, apple and herb, etc.) at every meal. This probably stems from the years I spent in Switzerland, where a day didn't go by without some type of salad gracing the table. We always ate it after the main course, which may sound strange to you pre-dinner salad eaters, but no matter how full you were, a salad would settle the stomach and aid in digestion. It worked like a charm.

While I avoid the pre-washed, bagged salad mixes (you shouldn't if that works for you), I don't always have the time or desire to wash and spin a head of grimy lettuce. This celery apple salad is for nights like that.

I always have celery in the crisper and apples in the fruit bowl, both of which keep pretty well. So even when groceries are running low, this is a cinch to throw together on a busy night. There's really no reason you can't have your salad and eat it, too.

Celery and Apple Salad with Toasted Walnuts
The variations here are endless. Use any green herb (I'm partial to parsley or chives), nuts (pecans, almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios), or fruit (grapes or pears work equally well in place of the apples). For a more substantial salad, add some soft, crumbled cheese (think feta, chèvre, gorgonzola, etc.)  

1/2 cup raw walnut halves
5 large celery ribs
1 crisp apple, cored and cut into thin slices
1/3 cup fresh, chopped parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, checking frequently, until they begin to brown and give off a nutty, toasted aroma. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Slice each celery rib on a bias to produce long, thin, diagonal slices. Add the celery and apple to a large salad bowl. Roughly chop the walnuts and add them, along with the parsley, to the celery and apples. Sprinkle with olive oil, fresh lemon juice (start with 1 tablespoon) and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice (I always add more), if needed. Serve with - or if you're at my house, after - your meal.

Crispy Kale Chips

I’ve gotten a handful of kale chip questions lately. Kale chips are a snack I’ve made for years but never thought of as blog material. My mistake. They’re easy as pie to make and completely satisfy that crunchy, salty kind of craving. And if you’re someone who isn’t keen on the taste of leafy greens, this will change everything.

Kale is an unsung hero of sorts. It is one of the most nutritious foods you can possibly eat but doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves. I’ve met a surprising number of people who only recognize it as that leafy salad bar decoration but wouldn’t have the slightest idea how to cook it. I have quite a few tasty ideas, but let’s start with the chips.

 
These are so simple you don’t even need a recipe. Wash a bunch of kale and strip the leaves from the fibrous stems (the stems have no place in the chip world; they won’t get crisp in the oven). Tear the kale leaves into large pieces and dry them really, really well. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with a bit of oil. Sprinkle with flaky kosher salt, toss well and spread out to form a single layer. It’s important not to overlap here – you might need to do this in batches. Bake in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes or until the chips are dry and crisp.

You’ll be amazed at how delicious these are. Mine never last more than 10 minutes but if you can summon the willpower, save a few to crush over some freshly buttered popcorn. 

I’m somewhat of a purist so I like the clean flavor of lightly salted chips, but these would be the perfect vehicle for a multitude of spice combinations. Salt and vinegar, truffle, or chili garlic chips anyone?

Truffled Popcorn with Rosemary and Parmesan

I come from a popcorn family. I’m not talking about people who enjoy a nice bowl, I’m talking popcorn enthusiasts.

My parents raised us without a television so our evening entertainment consisted of public radio (The Great Gildersleeve, Fibber McGee and Molly) and books. Lots of books. Every night we huddled on the sofa with a stack for mom to read, which nine times out of ten included The Popcorn Book by Tomie de Paola.

The story is about two brothers who look up the history of popcorn while making some for a snack. They find out that it originated with the Native Americans, who cooked it in clay pots or by holding corn cobs directly over the fire (they even made popcorn soup). They believed that a little demon lived inside each kernel and as things heated up he became so angry that he popped! In the meantime, the boys put way too many kernels in the pot and flood the kitchen with popped corn, which, I always thought as a kid, would be a wonderful mistake.

By the end of the book, we’d have one thing on our minds, and that’s when my mom would ask, “Who wants popcorn?” It’s no mystery why this was in our “favorites” rotation.

Nowadays I’m still a popcorn fanatic. Movies and sporting events aren’t worth watching without it. As for toppings, butter and salt will always be a classic but I also enjoy a good sprinkling of nutritional yeast or mixed herbs. My newest obsession, however, is truffle oil.

During our Balkan adventure two summers ago, Tristan and I bought a bottle of local truffle oil at the farmers’ market in Rovinj, Croatia, and ever since we’ve been indulging in truffled popcorn. Melted butter, truffle oil, a little kosher salt – it doesn’t get much better than that.

And then the other day I picked up Donatella Arpaia’s new cookbook, Donatella Cooks, where she suggests a combination of fresh rosemary, truffle oil and pecorino cheese. I love this woman! So I whipped up a batch and brought it to the Seattle Sounders soccer game. Let’s just say that I don’t think I can go back to the stadium kettle corn again.

I barely needed an excuse to make popcorn as it was. Now I’m struggling to find an excuse not to.

~ Dedicated to my mother

Truffled Popcorn with Rosemary and Parmesan

Great for movie night or game day. I’m simply listing the ingredients here; exact amounts depend on how much popcorn you’d like to make. Keep in mind that the melted butter and truffle oil ratio should be 1 to 1. Adapted from Donatella Cooks.

High heat vegetable oil

Popcorn kernels

Melted butter

Truffle oil (white or black)

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

Fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Grated Parmesan cheese

Pour a thin film of oil over the bottom of a heavy bottomed pan. Add the popcorn kernels in one layer, cover tightly and set over medium-high heat. When the popping begins, take the pan by the handles and shake often to keep things moving and to prevent burning. When the popping slows, turn off the heat. Once popping is completed, carefully remove the lid and transfer the popped corn to a large bowl.

I like to do this part in stages. Drizzle some of the melted butter and truffle oil mixture (remember, they are in a 1:1 ratio) over the popcorn, then sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper, rosemary and Parmesan. Toss a bit and repeat as many times as needed; be sure to taste as you go!

Italian Wedding Soup

Back in my college days, I worked at a little Italian café in Upstate New York as a glorified barista. In addition to sandwiches and desserts, we proudly offered a homemade soup of the day, and when it was Italian Wedding, people went bananas. Nothing sold out quite as fast. So you can imagine my horror the day I saw how the sausage was actually made. I walked into the back room right as one of the kitchen staff was dropping a huge block of frozen Stouffer’s meatball soup into a crock-pot. “Yes sir, we make all of our soups on site.” Oops.

But that didn’t change the fact that Italian Wedding Soup remains one of my favorites. And making it from scratch isn’t all that difficult, not to mention exponentially better.

The soup in its simplest form consists of clear broth, greens, tiny pasta and miniature meatballs that cook right in the hot liquid. Ina Garten, however, inspired me to employ a twist: bake the meatballs. Baking, unlike simmering, imparts color, and color = flavor. But that’s not all. These particular meatballs are made with ground chicken and chicken Italian sausage. The fennel flavor, characteristic of Italian sausages, adds a dimension that ground meat alone can’t. These are so juicy and savory that I would actually serve them on their own as an appetizer. 

As for greens, endive, escarole, spinach or kale are most commonly used. Since I rarely find ways of incorporating it into my cooking, I chose to make mine with escarole.

Escarole is a variety of endive whose leaves are broader and paler. It’s quite bitter, with a taste reminiscent of radicchio, and can be eaten raw, sautéed or chopped into soups. If you’re not a fan of bitter greens, you can easily make yours with spinach.

I made a huge pot of wedding soup last week and ate it for three days straight. And no, getting married is not a prerequisite.

Italian Wedding Soup
If you’re going to be eating your soup over a few days, you may want to cook the pasta separately and add a bit to each bowl before ladling in the hot soup. Otherwise, the pasta will continue absorbing broth and become quite mushy. Adapted from Barefoot Contessa.

Meatballs: 
3/4 pound ground chicken or turkey 
1/2 pound chicken Italian sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs, about 1 large slice of good quality white sandwich bread
2 big cloves garlic, minced 
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Soup:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 cup diced carrots, cut into ¼-inch pieces 
3/4 cup diced celery, cut into ¼-inch pieces
12 cups chicken stock 
1/2 cup dry white wine, optional
2 cups small pasta (I used whole wheat orzo)
1 pound chopped escarole, endive or whole baby spinach

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

For the meatballs, gently combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Using your hands, carefully roll 3/4- to 1-inch sized meatballs and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes until they are cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

For the soup, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the stock and wine, if using, and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and escarole/endive* and simmer until the pasta is tender, about 6 minutes. Add the meatballs and simmer for 1 minute more. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust if necessary.

Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan.

* If you opt to use spinach, wait until the last minute of cooking and add it along with the meatballs.

Mango Salsa

I can’t let summer pass us by without mentioning one of my go-to hot weather dishes, mango salsa. Not only does it take minutes to assemble, it doesn’t require any heat (other than the Jalapeño sort). The sweet-hot combination pairs beautifully with everyday proteins by adding freshness and vibrancy. Try it with grilled salmon, pan-seared cod, chicken or my personal favorite, red curry shrimp.

Mango Salsa Recipe
This recipe could also be made with fresh peaches or nectarines. To dice a mango, cut it in half lengthwise following the pit as closely as possible. Score the flesh of each half in a criss-cross fashion all the way to the skin (but don’t cut through the skin). Invert each half (it will look like a porcupine) and slice off the chunks. Adapted from Simply Recipes.

1 ripe mango, diced 
1/4 large red onion, finely diced
1 Jalapeño, minced (leave out the seeds and ribs if you don’t like hotness) 
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced, optional
Juice from one large juicy lime 
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (fresh mint also works well)
Pinch of salt 
Other additions: avocado chunks, halved cherry tomatoes, diced red bell pepper or jicama

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and taste for seasoning.

Luis' Gazpacho

I used to think gazpacho was just ok. Then Luis came to town.

He, along with my friend Andrew, was running a language exchange program for a group of Spanish kids for a month. When they weren’t being teachers, they were exploring Seattle to its fullest (Mariners games, Mt. Rainier, the Fremont Troll, Hooters) but in my opinion, the night they threw a tapas party really beat all.
 
When I arrived the tables were covered with platters of bread and cured Spanish meats, wedges of tortilla de patata, olives, Marcona almonds, and toothpicks of cheese, anchovies and pickles. I was in heaven. And then someone placed a seemingly standard cup of gazpacho in front of me. I’d had my share of this chilled soup while traveling through Spain and thought I’d tasted it all, but I never saw this coming.

One sip and I was addicted. It had the perfect amount of white vinegar playing against the olive oil, and after cross-examining Luis regarding its preparation, I learned of its other secret: soaked bread. Unexpected, yes, but the texture was incredible. Plus, after refilling our glasses 5 or 6 times, it made much more sense than our original guess: crack.

Luis’ Gazpacho
On a hot summer day, almost nothing is more refreshing than this chilled soup. It's a salad in a glass!
 
Serves 8-10 people (or only a few if you're the greedy, addictive type)
 
7-8 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
2 red peppers, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 big slices of  good quality white bread, crusts removed and soaked in water (gently squeeze some of the water out before processing)
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup white vinegar
Salt to taste
 
To peel the tomatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Using a paring knife, slice a small “x” into the bottom of each tomato. Place the tomatoes into the water and simmer for 1-2 minutes or until their skins start to loosen. Quickly transfer the tomatoes into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Their skins should come off easily at this point. Roughly chop the peeled tomatoes.

Place the tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, garlic, onions and bread into the bowl of a food processor. Puree until the texture is uniform. Add the olive oil and 1/2 cup of the white vinegar. Taste and add more vinegar if necessary (mine was perfect with the entire 3/4 cup). Add salt to taste. Water can be added if the gazpacho is too salty or too thick.

Crispy Zucchini Pancakes

I’d been meaning to make these for the longest time. The reviews of Barefoot Contessa’s recipe were highly favorable, plus I love anything fried and crispy. And besides, who couldn’t use a new way to prepare the ubiquitous zucchini?

I’m delighted to say that the hoopla was well-deserved. These. Are. Phenomenal.

But there’s no need to take my word for it. I put them to the test and made a double batch for a fruit and vegetable-themed cooking class that I did for clients last month. Not only were they a hit, even the pickiest eaters came back for 2nds and 3rds. I could barely keep up production!

Then a couple weeks ago, I was asked to teach a one-hour cooking class for a kids’ summer camp. In addition to homemade hummus and raspberry fruit dip, I thought little silver dollar sized green pancakes would be fun. While they sizzled on the griddle, the teacher read Pancakes, Pancakes! By Eric Carle, which talks about the lengths a little boy has to go to have pancakes for breakfast (milling the wheat, gathering eggs, milking the cow and boiling down maple sap). By the time the story was done, so were our little pancakes. The kids eagerly gobbled them up with comments like, “15 stars!” and, “These would be GREAT for St. Patrick’s Day!”

You really have no excuse for not eating your veggies.

 
Zucchini Pancakes
If you think zucchini is boring, try this recipe. It can be served hot and crispy with sour cream and salmon or as a simple side dish to your entrée. You could even fold a little cheese into the batter. Adapted from a Barefoot Contessa at Home recipe.
 
2 medium zucchini (about 3/4 pound)
1/4 cup grated onion
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6 to 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
A few grinds of freshly ground black pepper
Butter and vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 300°F. 
 
Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the zucchini into a bowl. Add the grated onion and eggs; stir well. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the flour, the baking powder, salt and pepper. If your zucchini are on the watery side, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. 
 
Heat a large skillet (I like using cast iron) over medium heat and add a ½ tablespoon each of butter and oil (or you can use all oil). When the butter is hot but not smoking, lower the heat to medium-low and drop heaping spoons of batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Place the pancakes on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you continue frying the rest, wiping out the pan with a dry paper towel and adding more butter and oil in between batches. The pancakes can stay warm for up to 30 minutes in the oven. Serve hot.

Crispy Potato Latkes

My good friend Minh-Hai is dating someone new. And he’s fabulous. Intelligent, open-minded, kind and thoughtful. But the funny thing about Ben is that he doesn’t cook. Actually, that’s an understatement. He doesn’t own a single pot, pan, knife, piece of cutlery or dish. Up until now, take-out and paper plates have kept him alive. But it’s funny what dating a foodie can do to a person. And let me tell you, anyone who walks into Crate and Barrel, explains that he’d like to make an omelet for the amazing girl he’s dating and walks out with a new skillet, a few plates and some silverware, is top dog in my book. Honestly men, little things go a long way.
 
So when I finally met Ben, we inevitably talked shop. He seemed genuinely interested in expanding his recipe repertoire, and since he’s of Jewish descent, I invited him over to learn how to make latkes. 
 
Getting to know someone over food is one thing but standing there in front of sputtering pans of oil, flipping little crispy potato pancakes is quite another. Ben did wonderfully, and the latkes, he said, were delicious enough to receive his grandmother's approval.

Crispy Potato Latkes
This is the most basic latke recipe - green onions, chives or parsley can also be added into the mix. The traditional toppings include sour cream and applesauce but I bet crème fraiche and caviar would be fabulous. Makes roughly 40 3-inch latkes.

4 pounds potatoes, Yukon Gold or Russet, peeled
2 large yellow onions
2 eggs 
1/3 cup matzo meal or all purpose flour (optional)
2 teaspoons salt
Vegetable oil for frying (peanut or high-oleic safflower oil)

On a box grater, shred potatoes and onions. Tip: you want to aim for long potato strands so it’s helpful to grate the potato lengthwise using a bit of force. You can also skip the workout and use a food processor fitted with a coarse shredding blade. Transfer potatoes and onions to a piece of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel and squeeze as dry as possible. When you think you've managed to get all of the moisture out, squeeze some more. This key step is what ensures crispy latkes. 
 
Crack the eggs into a large bowl and beat lightly. Add the shredded potatoes and onions, matzo meal and salt; stir well.
 
In a large skillet, pour in about an 1/8th-inch of vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat until very hot and shimmering but not smoking. Drop about 1/4 cup potato mixture into the skillet, flattening slightly into about 1/2-inch thickness (they should be a bit thicker in the middle than the outside edges). Repeat until you have 5 latkes in the pan. Fry until the edges and bottoms are golden brown, about 3 minutes, being sure to maintain the heat so that the oil bubbles around the edges. Flip and cook until golden brown all over, about 3 minutes more. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as needed. As you finish frying the latkes, they can be kept warm on a baking sheet in a 250°F oven.
 
Serve hot and crispy topped with applesauce or sour cream and lox.
 
Note: These can easily be done a day ahead of time. Just reheat in a single layer in a 400°F oven until crisp.

Mini Soft Pretzels

Ever since I saw Deb’s post on miniature soft pretzels, I’ve been looking for a good excuse to make them. Then football season rolled around. 
 
So when Emily and Erik came over to watch a playoff game a few weeks back, I was on it. Besides the usual suspects -- crackers and cheese, roasted peanuts in their shells, chips and salsa -- I wanted to offer a big tray of salty, hot pretzels ready to be doused in mustard. 
 
The dough was easy enough, and the rolling out and making of proper knots took only a few tries to master. But I did learn a thing or two. First of all, even if you use parchment paper, oil it. Those suckers stick to it like nobody’s business, and having to forcefully pull them off deforms their delicate little shapes. Secondly, kosher salt isn’t coarse enough. I thought it would hold up but it immediately dissolved into the egg wash. If you, like most people, don’t have authentic pretzel salt lying around, a large, coarse sea salt will do nicely.

Since there were only 4 of us, I decided to freeze half the dough (portioned out but not rolled or formed). So when we were invited to a friend’s house to watch the Super Bowl a week or so later, my contribution was quick and easy. The dough defrosted in the refrigerator in a matter of hours and behaved exactly as if it were fresh. Next time I'd like to fashion it into little buns for pretzel dot sandwiches like the ones I had at Licorous last year (prosciutto, Gruyere, sauerkraut and a grainy mustard sauce). 
 
These are a bit laborious but the results, paired with a frosty beer, are well worth it.