Cuisine Eric

Here is my riff off of the famous Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce.  She uses onion and butter, but I add a few tasty bits to kick it up a notch.  Very simple and easy and oh, so fantastic. I am appalled by the prices of some of the fancier tomato sauces in the grocery today.  As much as $6-9 for 24 oz. This makes almost three times that amount for the same price, and is so much more fresh. And you know what's in it - only the best! I was inspired to make this after eating at Gia Batta Alimentari in Tivoli, NY.  Owned and operated by descendants of the Buitoni family, famous for their pasta, they serve the very best fettuccini with red sauce I have ever had, either here or in Italy. This comes close to a high fidelity reverse engineering of their sauce, I'd say. 4 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp favorite fresh aromatic herbs such as thyme or oregano (I also use a bit of rosemary), minced Dash crushed red pepper flak...

I am making this fresh aromatic condiment more and more often. It can be used as a topping for grilled meats, fish, and for many other flavoring opportunities. I now keep some in the refrigerator almost at all times. 4 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves large palmful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems 3 cloves garlic 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes juice of 1/2 lime (or lemon), and the zest if you like 1/4 tsp salt fresh ground black pepper to taste 1/4 cup olive oil Pulse the rosemary, cilantro and garlic in a small food processor (You could also use a mortar and pestle.) Tip into a small bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook’s Note: If you haven’t noticed, I love chimichurri sauce.   It’s zesty, and full of aromatics. It goes on so many dishes and is a great ingredient for so many things.   Make some and keep it in the fridge for inspiration. I use fresh rosemary and cilantro as my green herbs, but you could use oregano and parsley, which is also popular.   Many peo...

[Stop it. No, this is not a poop imoji...] This paste is great for flavoring beans, or roasting meats.  It is also great in southwestern soups. 1 dried guajillo chile, stemmed and de-seeded 1 dried pasilla chili, stemmed and de-seeded 2 dried ancho chilis, stemmed and de-seeded 1/4 cup raisins 1 tsp cocoa powder 1 Tbsp maple syrup Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Place chilies and raisins in a bowl and pour boiling water over them.  Stir them up to submerge them. Let rest for a good hour or so. Strain the chili mixture and reserve liquid.   Tip chili mixture into a high/speed blender.  Add 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid, the cocoa powder and the maple syrup to the blender. Blend on high for about 15-20 seconds, depending on your blender. Scrape down sides of you need to. You should achieve a paste slightly more creamy than peanut butter. It should just barely pour. Adjust with more chili soaking water, if necessary. Makes about 1-1/2 cups paste.

During a recent visit to my sister-in law I learned a fantastic plant-forward ragout she makes regularly. With me as her sous chef, we whipped up this ragout very quickly, making a really rich, festive birthday dinner for my wife. You could add browned ground meat to the sauce and amp it up even more, but I make it veg, as she usually does, since it has plenty of flavor punch. Especially if you don't add meat, don't forget the coconut aminos or soy sauce for the umami kick. 16 oz baby portobello or button mushrooms, coarsely diced 5 oz (1/2pack) matchstick carrots (or grated, about 2 cups) 1 shallot, or 1 small onion, finely diced, or combo 1 red Fresno pepper, finely diced (or Jalapeño pepper) 2 cloves garlic, finely minced   1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced (or 1 tsp dried) 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, minced (or 1/4 tsp dried) 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste 1 medium zucchini, grated on a coarse grater 1 15-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes (I used Trader Joe’s), d...

From the archives:  Making a really, really good vinaigrette has been a craft in my family, and in my in-law family for generations. My late uncle, Jeannot, and Father-in-law, Bernard, (both best of friends) were each geniuses at the vinaigrette. And they both taught me. I have to say my siblings along with my sisters and brothers in-law do really now carry on the tradition as I strive to as well.  In our family cookbook "Cuisine Encore" I published my go-to vinaigrette - a basic version taught to me by my French mother, Monique.  It's great, yet I have been looking for something slightly more modern and upbeat.  So I merged Asian rice vinegar into the mix along with fresh (not powdered) garlic with the Dijon mustard, and toned down the salt. Make it your own. I now have what I think is an even better basic vinaigrette, today. Talk to you tomorrow! 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar 1 generous tsp Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup ca...

Time for basil harvest.  This year I mix both regular basil with small leaf Greek basil - a new find at the nursery this year.  Greek basil is very aromatic and I'm using it in more and more dishes, fresh from the bush.   Here I amp up the basil with fresh mint - abundant as the basil in the herb garden this time of year. 1/4 cup walnuts 2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled 4 cups slightly packed fresh basil leaves 1 cup fresh mint leaves 1 cup olive oil 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Pulse the walnuts and garlic in a large food processor until you have a fine meal.   Add the basil and mint leaves and pulse 10-12 times until leaves begin to mince.  Add the oil and process until smooth. Remove basil mixture to a bowl and stir in the parmesan cheese. Makes about 1-1/2 cup pesto. Cook’s note:   I do not blanch my basil leaves beforehand.  If you do, dry the leaves in a salad spinner as best you can.  While bl...

A delicious vegetarian dressing or dip for veggies, fritters or salads. 1 tub silken tofu 2 tsp wasabi paste (or to taste) 2 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar dash crushed red pepper flakes, to taste 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp onion powder 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves palmful cilantro leaves (or parsley) Mix all ingredients into a blender.   Cover and blend until smooth. Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

This is a deliciously creamy Green Goddess dressing you can mix up quickly. 1 clove garlic palmful fresh parsley leaves palmful fresh cilantro leaves 1 rounded Tbsp plain Greek Yogurt 1 rounded Tbsp good real mayonnaise 2 Tbsp cider vinegar 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) 1/4 tsp salt freshly ground pepper 2 tsp whole grain Dijon mustard 1 tsp dried dill weed dash Sriracha (or other favorite hot sauce) to taste Place garlic in small food processor and mince.  Add cilantro and parsley and mince.   Add remaining dressing and blend until smooth. Makes about a cup of dressing. Serve on favorite salad fixings.

I love foodie friends.  Not only is there always something to talk about, but sometimes you get the nicest gifts.  Yesterday, I was surprised from a colleague with a paper bag.  When I looked in I saw a whole gorgeous pile of fresh bright orange Chanterelle mushrooms. I didn't care about anything else but making a dreamy cream sauce with the Chanterelles and a dash or Madera wine.  We had pork cutlets at home so I used it on them.  Otherwise I would have used on a nice grilled steak, or piece of fish, or whatever you like. Thanks a million, Anita for this wonderful foodie surprise! 3 cups fresh chanterelle mushrooms 1 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 small leek, cleaned, trimmed and sliced thinly 2 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press 1-1/2 cup half and half (or 1 cup heavy cream) 1/4 cup Madeira wine (or sherry, or port) 2 lean loin pork chops, pounded to about 1/4-inch flat 1/3 cup all purpose flour, scattered on a large plate fres...

Raita is a nice cooling sauce for a spicy Indian curry based on plain yogurt.  There are infinite varieties, many including cucumber which adds to the cooling effect.  Here I marinate the chopped veggies in a bit of rice vinegar for sharpness (you could also use lime juice and a dash salt). Serve with your favorite Indian curry. 1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar about 3-5 inches English cucumber, seeded and finely diced 2-3 red radishes, finely diced 1 small green onion, finely diced 2 Tbsp finely diced orange pepper 1-1/3 cup plain yogurt 1 clove garlic, pressed through a garlic press - finely minced dash cayenne pepper, or to taste Mix the vinegar with the cucumber, radish, onion and pepper together in a bowl and allow to marinate 15 minutes. Drain. Add the yogurt and mix well. Mix in the cayenne pepper and garlic. Allow the raita to meld for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Makes 1-1/2 cup sauce, good for a typical Indian dinner for 4-6 persons. ...