Zucchini Fritters with a Summer Succotash.

You know those Southern grandmothers that can just grab some flour, some butter and a pinch of something else and - viola! - make the best biscuits you've ever had in your life? All without measuring a single thing? 

Yeah, well that's how fritters are for my girl. She can work some serious fritter magic, and the best part is, they are all done by feel. These are some delicious zucchini fritters that she made. My sole contribution was chopping some red onion and some cherry tomatoes and tossing it with corn for the topping- what a slacker!

I wish I could give you a recipe, but it really is just that type of thing. 

We use fritters as a type of veggie loading excersise. Which, by the way, they are perfect for it. Deciding on the type of fritter goes like this:

How about some zucchini?

Awesome!

Toss in some corn?

Absolutely!

Oh, gee, we have ________ too!

Great! 

Everything is perfect in a fritter. And, it's healthy.

Well… healthy enough. 

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Zucchini Fritters with Summer Succotash 

No recipe, but I’ll give you a simple run down:

1.) Put veggies that you want to use in a bowl. If you’re using zucchini or summer squash, grate it on a box grater and sprinkle lightly with salt. Then, wait 10 minutes, and squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can. This way, the mixture stays together better and gets crunchy when its cooked.

2.) To the bowl, add 1 egg, 1 tsp of baking powder, and enough flour to bring the mixture together to a consistency that is like a batter. Season with some salt.

3.) Spoon them into a hot pan - medium high - with enough hot oil to coat the bottom of it.  Fry them up until they are golden brown and delicious on both sides.

4.) Enjoy!

   

Rotini with Caramelized Onions and Sausage

Call me crazy, but caramelized onions can do no wrong. Their richness and complexity can elevate a simple dish to an extraordinary experience.

I love them.

And damn, love is a fickle beast.

I have memories - blurred only by my vision - of slicing my way through dozens of onions at my station, the tears stinging my eyes. Learning the ridicule of working on a line. Crying, it seems, is never manly, even if it's caused by cebollas.

Yet, these memories ultimately taught me the power of patience, as I watched -- stirring only ever so often -- those onions sweat down and gradually turn into a rich golden brown, their flavor metamorphosing into a true culinary phenomenon.

You see, onions have a lot of sugar locked up inside of them. It takes patience, a lot of time and a bit of skill to coax those sugars into a caramelized delight instead of an uneven burnt mess. 

Fight the urge to stir the pan too often, the onions need contact with the pan to start to turn color. If making caramelized onions, the best tip is to just take your time.   When you do stir them, make sure to get the onions that are less cooked on the bottom of the pan, so they cook evenly.

Paula Deen will rejoice, but butter really is a good friend to caramelizing onions.  Its not necessary, but it can really help.

It takes a lot of onions to make a good amount of caramelized onions. Because of this, I recommend making a good batch at once. 

You can find an appropriate use for caramelized onions with just about anything. I love tossing them with some pasta. I did that here, with italian sausage and spiral pasta. By adding some wilted radicchio  some bitterness was introduced to offset the sweet onions .  
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Rotini with Carmelized Onions, Italian Sausage

and Radicchio
Serves: 4 - 6
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 large spanish onions
• 2 Tbsp canola oil, devided
• 1 Tbsp butter (optional)
• 1 pound of whole grain rotini pasta
• 2 links italian sausage, removed from casing (note: I like spicy for this recipe)
• ½ head of radicchio, cored and sliced into ½ inch strips
• ½ cup of pasta water, reserved from cooking pasta
• 2 oz of fresh goat's cheese, crumbled
• Chopped Italian Parsley to garnish

Method:
1.) Cut the onions in half, and then remove the top and bottom ends. Cut the onions lengthwise into ⅓-inch strips.
2.) In a large saute pan, or a dutch oven over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp of oil. Add the onions, and cook, stirring occasionally. Cook the onions, adding the butter if you'd like, until they start to take on a deep rich, golden color. You may need to drop the heat if they are cooking too quickly. As they grow darker in color you will need to stir them more often. They will cook for about 20 minutes. When caramelized, set aside to cool
3.) Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil, season with 2 Tbsp of salt. Add your pasta and cook for 2 minute shy of the package directions.
4.) Meanwhile, while your pasta is cooking, heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add 2 tsp of oil and the sausage. Cook until the sausage is browned, breaking up into pieces with a wooden spoon.
5.) Too the hot pan add your radicchio and cook quickly to wilt the greens. Add your caramelized onions.
6.) Remove your cooked pasta from the pan, reserving ½ cup of pasta water, and add to the saute pan with the sausage and the onions. Toss the mixture to combine, adding the pasta water to create a light sauce.
7.) Add the goat cheese and serve warm, garnishing with chopped parsley.

Castella with Strawberry Jam

So, I was finally digging through my freezer the other day and discovered the remains of a Castella - a Japanese sponge cake flavored with honey (recipe here) - that I made a few months back as an experiment to impress my soon-to-be in-laws. I was hungry for some breakfast, so I cut a couple slices of it, toasted it up on the stove and spread some strawberry jam. A great, spontaneous breakfast.

Sour Cream Biscuits with Strawberries

I love strawberry season. Stems from hot summers in Kansas and my family constantly trying to fight off the rabbits that love eating the strawberry crop. 

Much like hot dogs and the movie "the Sandlot," strawberries are a completely perfect representation of summer. 

Tri-flavor Crispy Fish

Yumm....

Summer Cocktail Series: The Cucumber Tonic

Cheers to summer! I've got a refreshing cocktail for you, so it can be "happy hour" any time of day. So long as the weather is hot and you've got a thirst.

There is something interesting about cucmber juice. It is very striking in flavor. One taste and you know exactly what it is you're tasting. However, the words to describe it are more difficult. It tastes "clean." it tastes "fresh." It tastes "cool."

Chickpea Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes, Fennel & Pea Shoots

Whew! When's it hot outside, sometimes I just can't work up the gaul to fire up the stove or turn on the oven. I just need to give my little 1200w AC unit a break.

I know it's a long way off from tomato season, but the little guys are popping up all over in stores. I couldn't resist. It took me about 17 years, but I learned to love tomatoes. And, the cherry-sized heirlooms are some of my favorite.

This salad combines a lot of fresh, warm weather friendly flavors: fennel, cucumber and one of my favorites, pea shoots.

Frisee Aux Lardons

This is one of my favorite things to get when eating out at a nice neighborhood bistro.

Look, it might be a salad, but there is nothing light or delicate about this dish. Look at those chunks of bacon for god sakes.

Mmmm... bacon. In French gastro-speak the term lardons means any large piece of cooked, crispy bacon. In my own gastro-speak is means delicious.

Sunday Brunch: French Toast Muffins

My grand-pappy instilled in me two very important things. One, don't let anything come between you and a beautiful lady. Two, never trust anyone who doesn't like French toast. 

I like his priorities. 

Summer Cocktail Series: The Persian Persuader

I've got to thank my Aussie friend Michael for this one. 


Now, I'm not sure where the legend started, but a long, long time ago in a hotel lobby far, far away the saga begins. (I didn't know it was possible to be in the middle-of-nowhere yet somehow be close to the second biggest mall in the country). 

"It looks like a half-finished Bennigan’s in there, all brick face and wood and half-filled bookshelves, with room on the walls for flair. ...

This is a good restaurant?

Against heavy odds, it is. This place has all the charm of a lobby bar in Albany, and produces a similar mood. "

The sage-like words of critic Sam Sifton, giving Tenpenny a star in yesterday's Dining & Wine.

Duck Confit Gyoza with Dried Cranberries

Welcome to summer everybody! For me, this week is a week off of work. What to do... well, besides a few loads of laundry, I feel like pumpin' some jams (currently Blues Traveler) and cooking some food. Sorry, honey, looks like the wedding diet has to wait another week. 


Look at these morsels of flavor.

Sunday Brunch: Dim Sum BBQ Pork "Bao" Buns

So, I made that pork shoulder the other day. Wow, what a lot of meat! I was in a serious crisis of what to do with the left-overs. And, after a failed attempt to go out to a brunch of dim sum in Sunset Park with a bunch of friends, I got to thinking. Maybe I could replicate the best part of dim sum: those fluffy, sweet steamed BBQ bao buns.

Summer Cocktail Series: The Classic Margarita

Say goodbye spring and hello summer! It's Memorial Day weekend, the official start to of summer, so fire up those grills, get out those flip-flops and get outside. It's going to be a beautiful weekend here in NYC for the holiday. Finally, respite from the water-logged spring that we had.

And.... Since, it's 5 o'clock, I figured that it would be the perfect time kick off summer with the first in a series paying tribute to all of the cocktails that make summer great. 

First up, the ultimate in summer time fun, the humble margarita.

Blueberry Yogurt Scones with Maple Glaze

Okay, so the world might end today. At 6pm.  I'm still trying to figure out if it's Eastern or Pacific. Either way, you'll probably be able to find me with a cocktail in my hands around 6pm on either time zone today.

And since, today could be the end of the world, I decided to prove to myself that I can actually bake something before the rapture happens.  But mostly, I just really wanted a scone. 

Sunday Brunch: Bacon Cheese Grits with a Fried Egg

Grits are something that I have recently fallen in love with. They are delicious and can be combined with so many flavors.

While traditionally grits might just be served with a pad of butter, they taste amazing when mixed with other things -- shrimp comes to mind. I thought, bacon makes everything taste better. So, why not bacon and cheese? Exactly. No good reason not to.

Rigatoni Pomodoro

A simple bowl of pasta can be amazing. Don't get me wrong, more complicated pasta has its place, but every now and again, I get this fantastic craving for a simple bowl of pasta with tomato sauce. 

No fear, pomodoro is just a fancy way of saying tomato sauce. 

Rigatoni is one of my favorite pastas. It has a delicious bite when cooked al dente and the ridges and the tube allow just the right amount of sauce to get trapped inside. 

5 tips for better pasta

Who doesn't love a good bowl of pasta. It's the very reason why Italian restaurants are the most popular in the country. 

Want to bring a fancy and expensive Italian restaurant directly to your own kitchen?

Sure you do, and it's really not that difficult. Cooking pasta isn't that difficult, most people just make a few simple mistakes when cooking pasta. If they would just make some small changes to how they cook it, their pasta would be elevated to the likes of Mario Batali.

Champions of Italian cuisine -- Batali included -- love to talk about these techniques because so many people just make pasta the wrong way. And, by wrong all I really mean is not they way its typically made in Italy. Since the Italians created it, I'm pretty sure they know what they're doing.

Here are the five biggest tips you can use to make your pasta just as good as they do in fancy Italian restaurants. 

Indian Corn Stew

Man, winter seems to have spring in a serious chokehold. We'll get a nice tease for a day, and then its back to the cold and rain. Outside, the wind is howling and it's threatening to pour. Ah, the wonderful weather of New York City.

To make matters worse, the boiler is broken in my apartment building. It's a bit chilly. Good thing I've got all the right stuff in my fridge to make a nice, warming meal that is about as simple as simple gets.

Cooking 101: Tomato Sauce

A simple tomato sauce, or pomodoro sauce is one of the best things you can have in your arsenal of recipes. It's a simple go-to for a quick and easy dinner or a way to have a delicious  date night.

It can go with your favorite pasta or you can put it on a pizza. The possibilities are about as limited as your imagination. So put down the bottle of Prego and give this a try.

Brief: We're fat, but at least we're nice

According to a study published in the UK's Daily Guardian, American's are not only the fattest country but the nicest country in the world.  Here's an exerpt:

"Americans are more likely to volunteer time, give money and help a stranger than any other people on the planet, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

But they are also more likely to be overweight and die younger than average people in 29 industrialised countries."

Well, at least we're not the "angry fat" type.... 

Read more: Americans are the world's biggest givers and takers: U.S. tops obesity and kindness poll

Eggplant Bruschetta

It's the weekend! And you've got a hot date coming up. Way to go, big guy. We'd fist bump, but over the computer that'd just be weird.

So, you've got a lady friend and you've managed to talk her into a dinner at your place date. Now, if this is an early date in your budding romance, or if it's an old flame, a date night in can be invigorating. Either way, it's good to keep a few things in mind. Besides cleaning your place up, one of the most important things about these dates is the planning.

Chicken Soup with Dill

I've been feeling a little under the weather the past few days. And the last cold fingers of winter are holding on to spring. Sounds like a perfect excuse for some chicken soup.

Let's face it. It's a scary world out there. And your mamma isn't always gonna be there to fix you chicken soup. So, you have two options. One, find a nice girl that will take care of you and knows how to make chicken soup. Or, two, learn to make it yourself.

Winner: You've just won a new hot tub!

Congratulations! You've just won a new hot tub! Everyone wants a hot tub right?

Well, there was that hot-tub that became a time machine. Sorry, but there is an equally not funny hot tub waiting for you. You've won a hot tub that is filled with a vat of high fructose corn syrup. This is a graphic that ran in the NYT. But still... the gross-out factor... wow.  

Are Groupons and their clones the next Value Meals?

There has been all of this talk of economic recovery. Supposedly its in it's second year. Yeah, well most of that hasn't found its way back into my pocket book. My guess is, that it hasn't really hit yours yet either.

One of the biggest fads to come out of the recession has been the frugal diner. The grouponista has emerged, victorious in their lust for delicious food in a budget that they can afford.

Only problem is, when people see a successful model they try to replicate it and get some of that success for themselves. There are now more web-discount programs out there I can't keep them all straight.

There is a great article in this weeks NYT Dining & Wine that talks about the impact of these sites on restaurants. Reading it, I was surprised that I didn't know about half of the ones they mentioned.

It's a meat muffin

It's a cupcake! No, it's a muffin! Wait, it's… meat?!

Yes, believe your eyes.  It's a meat muffin. 

Now, I've been looking for a way to carry around lunch in my pocket to become one of the cool kids. I think I finally figured out how to do it.

And... we're back!

Because of the mounting costs and the lack of a federal bailout, DFNYC has relocated to its former "studio apartment in Bensonhurst." Frankly, free rent is more affordable. So switch the link in your favorites button people, because DFNYC is back!