Cuisine Eric

Artichokes with a dipping sauce is one of my favorite appetizers.  Here we combine fresh herbs and lemon with our best mayonnaise to make a delicious aioli for dipping. 2 artichokes 1 Tbsp cider vinegar Aioli: 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1 clove garlic, pushed through press 6 leaves basil 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves 1 tsp fresh lavender leaves 4 leaves sage 1 Tbsp fresh chives, finely minced 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I used Turkish Aleppo) zest of 1 lemon juice of 1/2 lemon Cut the top inch off the artichokes and trim the thorns off the leaves with scissors.   Trim the stalk of its woody bark, if there is a stalk. Bring a medium pot of water to boil with the vinegar and boil the artichokes gently for about 30 minutes, or until the leaves pull off very easily. Drain and let the artichokes cool to room temperature.  Slice in half.  Meanwhile, pulse the garlic, thyme, lavender and sage in a small processor, to a fine mince. Whisk with the mayonnaise, chives, red pepper, zest and l...

Tossing the wings with a bit of baking powder imparts a certain crispiness to the roasted wings.  The aromatic sweet herbed sauce is sticky and ever so delicious. Toss sauce: 2 Tbsp butter 4 cloves garlic, minced 1-inch piece ginger, minced 1/2 cup orange juice 2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey or brown sugar 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp corn starch slurried with 2 Tbsp water 1-1/2 lb party wings (no wing tips; about 18-20 wing pieces), very well dried in paper towels Wing dry seasoning: 2 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp paprika 1 tsp Kosher salt good grind black pepper 2 tsp baking powder palmful fresh mint leaves, finely minced Preheat oven to 425F. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan.   Add the garlic and ginger and cook stirring for about 2 minutes over medium-low heat.   Add the orange juice, maple syrup and soy sauce and simmer at a gentle boil to reduce by about a third to a half. Meanwhile, toss the well-dried wings with the dry seasonings in a large bowl.   Oil a rack on a la...

There is nothing like a fresh salsa to beat the heat and I am especially partial to the green salsa verde. Made with sweet and tart tomatillos, jalapeño peppers and onion, and flavored with garlic, cilantro and lime, it is a summer favorite around this house. 7 tomatillos, husked 1/2 white onion, cut in thirds 1 jalapeño pepper 1 red Fresno pepper 2 cloves garlic 1 small head cilantro, most stems cut off 1/4 tsp salt Zest of 1 lime Juice of same 1 lime Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a medium pot.   Drop in the tomatillos and cook for about 2-1/2 minutes.   Then drop in the onion and peppers and cook another 2-1/2 minutes. The tomatillos should have turned a slightly paler green. Drain the veggies and cut the stems off the peppers.   Pop veggies into a large blender.   Add the garlic, cilantro and salt.   Blend to a thick and chunky consistency to taste.   Don’t overblend or you’ll simply have a runny sauce which isn’t good for dipping chips into. Stir...

Tzatziki is a wonderful Greek yogurt dip and condiment.  It's great with pita bread or veggies, or as a topping on all kinds of grilled foods. Make sure you use a full fat, thick Greek yogurt, and that you squeeze as much water out of the grated cucumber as you can - you don't want a watery Tzatziki; it should be thick and rich. 1/2 English cucumber (about 6-inches), sliced lengthwise in half 1/4 tsp kosher salt 1 cup full fat Greek Yogurt (I used Fage 5%) 2 cloves garlic, grated with microplane or minced through a press 1/2 shallot, very finely diced 1 Tbsp fresh dill weed, minced (or 1/4 tsp dried dill) 1/8 tsp Aleppo red pepper (or fine-ground Korean chili pepper), or to taste 1 tsp red wine vinegar Cut cucumber in half lengthwise. Use a teaspoon to gently scrape out the seeds in the center of each half. Coarsely grate cucumber and toss in a colander with the salt.   Allow to sit 10-15 minutes. Squeeze water from cucumber and then tip onto the center of a full-sized paper t...

Visiting Sausalito with a fantastic vantage point above downtown, the sprawling massive marina looming below us, I felt free to experiment with local breads and a light California touch. 4 medium slices sourdough bread butter for toast 1/2 cup hummus 2 slices Provolone cheese 1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced 4 Tbsp of your best fresh salsa about 1 cup of fresh arugula Balsamic vinegar and olive oil coarse salt and freshly ground pepper Get all ingredients ready.   Toast the sourdough to your liking.   Butter generously. Coat each toast slice with about   two tablespoons hummus (1/4 each of what you have). Top with 1/2 slice of cheese. Lay avocado slices evenly about the toasts. Dress each toast with about a tablespoon of salsa and scatter arugula atop each slice. Drizzle each slice with some Balsamic vinegar and olive oil to taste, and finally a light scattering of salt and fresh pepper. Serves 2 hungry or 4 snacking appetites for a great brunch, lunch or snack.

Let's give it up for the much misunderstood artichoke.  Never had one? You are missing something! Give this a try at least once.  It's a fun and delicious finger food, great for casual occasions, and you won't forget the unmistakable, and unique delicious flavor for a long time. 4 globe artichokes Aioli: 1/2 cup good real mayonnaise 2 tsp balsamic vinegar 2 tsp Sriracha 2 clove garlic, minced through a press Set a large pot with about 2 inches water to boil. Trim artichokes: first, slice about an inch off of the tip of the globe.   Then trim the tips of the leaves using kitchen shears.   Finally, using a sharp paring knife, trim the end and the skin off the stalks. I do this by first trimming the tip off of the stalk and then scoring a circle around the base of the stalk.   Turn the artichoke standing upside down and carefully cut off the skin with continuous back and forth motions of the knife down the stalk, just until you reach the score on the base.   P...

This is one of the easiest, freshest, and most delicious appetizer, snack or light lunch I've seen in a long while.  Our daughter taught this to us and it is now a staple in our household. You can use whatever leftover veggies you might have, or none at all.  Either way the result will be delicious. Just be sure to use the ripest juicy red tomatoes you can find. 4 slices crusty Italian or Sourdough bread, lightly toasted 8 Tbsp best fresh ricotta cheese (I used Trader Joe’s whole milk) 2 best ripe fresh summer tomatoes, sliced About 2 doz leaves fresh basil cooled sautéed veggies, optional (I used leftover zucchini and roasted red onion) fresh salsa, optional Let toast cool off a bit.   Slather each slice with two tablespoons ricotta.   Top with some of the cooked veggies and a dash of fresh salsa, if using.   Top this with basil leaves and some slices of tomato.   Season with salt and pepper to taste and a dash of olive oil. Serves 2.

Need a quick dinner with next to no bother? Make this hummus and serve with cut up veggies and crisps you love and have on hand. It's delicious, healthful and faster than takeout - I'm sure. And it's real food that you made and controlled.  Thank you Michael Pollan. 2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and halved 2 Tbsp tahini juice of 1 large lemon 1/4 tsp salt freshly ground black pepper 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste 2-3 Tbsp roasted garlic cloves (see note) 1 can chickpeas, drained 1-2 Tbsp water, as needed Mince fresh garlic in a small food processor with a few pulses.   Add remaining ingredients except the water.   Blend until smooth.   Adjust consistency with enough water to taste.   Check seasoning and adjust to taste. Garnish with fresh cilantro (or parsley) if desired. I sprinkled Korean chili flakes on top along with olive oil. Serve hummus with favorite dip-ables such as crisp crackers, colored peppers, carrots or broccoli, or whatever veggi...