stuff we cook

• 4-5 large beefsteak tomatoes
• 6 tbsp rice
• 1 tbsp+ tomato paste
• 1/2 cup pecorino
• cilantro
• 1 diced onion
• 6 diced cloves of garlic
• 1/4 c olive oil
• dash of sugar
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup water

1. cut the tops off the tomatoes, scoop out the insides and put in a processor
2. add onion, garlic, olive oil, rice, cheese, cilantro, salt and pepper to a processor.
3. place tomatoes in bake dish. add sprinkles of sugar and throw in a bit of cheese into the tomato
4. put the stuffing from the processor into the tomatoes and reserve the leftovers
5. mix tomato paste, water, some olive oil. pour around the tomatoes. add the left over stuffing around the tomatoes.
6. bake at 375 for 1 hour 45 min

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4-5 mashed overripe bananas

Oven to 350. Mix butter and sugar. Add the dry ingredients and overripe bananas. Spoon into cupcake pan. They’re ready when a pick comes out clean, about 15 minutes.

Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup butter

Top the cake.

serves 2

• 1/2 box spaghetti
• 4 oz pancetta or several strips of fat bacon
• 2 eggs
• shredded parmesan
• fresh pepper
• parsley

1. boil pasta with a little bit of salt and olive oil 
2. while pasta cooks, fry pancetta/bacon until crispy
3. in large mixing bowl use a fork to blend eggs, handful of parm and pepper just enough to mix
4. drain pasta, reserve a little bit of the water
5. throw pasta over egg mixture, wait 30 seconds - 1 min 
6. add pancetta and some fat, more parmesan
7. toss and add more pepper

Adapted from GQ

Serves 2

• 1/2 lb elbow pasta
• 1/2 lb cheddar cheese grated
• 1-2 cups of milk
• 4 T butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 beefsteak tomato sliced
• sourdough breadcrumbs

Preheat oven 375.

Boil pasta. Drain.

While that’s boiling melt 3 T of butter and add all the flour. Whisk for about two minutes. Slowly pour in milk while whisking rather vigorously. When it’s your preferred consistency add the grated cheese in batches and stir. Add salt & pepper to taste. Turn off heat and stir in the pasta. Pour this concoction into a bake pan.

Melt 1 T of butter and stir in breadcrumbs. 

Cover the Mac & Cheese with tomato slices and then breadcrumbs on top. Bake for about 30 minutes. Delicioso!

• 1 package of israeli couscous
• 2-3 cups of chicken stock or water
• 1 can of artichoke hearts 
• sun dried tomatoes
• crumbled feta
• 1-2 lemon
• 1 T favorite mustard
• minced garlic clove
• 3 T olive oil
• salt & pepper

Prepare the couscous according to package instructions. Replace water with chicken stock. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Tear artichoke hearts, slice sun dried tomatoes, and add them to the couscous with feta. The amounts of these ingredients depends on how chunky you like your salad. 

Prepare the dressing:

Whisk together lemon, mustard, garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper. The proportions can vary depending on what you like. Toss into the salad.

• 1 bunch of scapes
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• olive oil
• grated parmesan
• salt & pepper

Chop the scapes into 2in pieces. Add the scapes & walnuts to a food processor and chop until it turns into a paste. Add parmesan to taste. Turn on processor and slowly pour in olive oil until it becomes smooth. Salt & Pepper. Server with bread or pasta!! 

• matzoh farfel
• about 1 lb ground beef
• 2-3 onions chopped
• 2 eggs beaten
• chicken stock
• cinnamon, cumin, brown sugar, salt & pepper
• 6 hard boiled eggs
• lemon slices

Cook beef and onions. Sprinkle with cinnamon, cumin, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 2 hours. 

When the meat is ready allow it to cool. Stir in eggs. 

Soak a bunch of matzoh farfel in water for about 1 minute, drain. Press the wet matzoh into a 9-in pie plate. Pour meat into the pie plate and add more of the moistened matzoh. Pour chicken stock on top about half way.

Bake uncovered at 350. Serve slices with a squashed egg and a lemon squeeze. 

• 1 head of napa cabbage chopped into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/8 cup kosher salt
• 2 scallions cut into 1 inch pieces
• 4-5 garlic cloves minced
• 2 inches of ginger (about 1 T) minced
• 2-3 T of Korean Chili powder (be sure to use the Korean kind)
• 3-4 anchovies mashed into a paste

Rinse cabbage. Dissolve salt in water. Put cabbage in a large bowl or pot and pour salt water over. Let it sit overnight. Toss once and a while.

The next day, drain the cabbage and reserve the water. Return the cabbage to the bowl and add scallions, garlic, ginger, anchovies and chili powder. If you like it extra spicy lean on the 3 T side. Toss using tongs until it is well coated. Pack very tightly into the jars leaving about 1 inch from the top. Pour reserved salt water over to cover and then close the lid tightly.

Let the kimchi brew on your counter in a dark corner for about 3 days if you like it really sour. Stick it in the fridge on the 3rd day and be careful when you open the lid. It’s bubbly inside!

Serves about 2

• 1 1/4 flour
• 2 eggs
• 3 pork sausages, casings removed
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4-1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

MAKE THE PASTA:

Create a mound with the flour. Make a well. Break the eggs into the well. Use a fork and lightly swirl the eggs in a circle. Support the wall of flour with your hand and slowly incorporate the flour into the egg until a rough mass forms.

When the dough becomes a firm ball sweep the rest of the flour to the side. Work the flour into the dough until it is no longer sticky. Knead for 8 minutes adding flour if it is too sticky. The dough should be elastic. Divide into three pieces and wrap tightly in plastic. Rest for 20 minutes.

Flour a surface and add dough ball. With a rolling pin, roll away from you as you flatten the dought. Dust it with flour as you continue. The sheet should be thin enough that you can see the shadow of your hand (pretty thin). Repeat with other balls. Let them dry on a floured surface (or wax paper) for at least 20 minutes flipping once. 

Cut into 1 inch wide strips. 

MAKE THE SAUCE:

Add a little bit of olive oil to a pan and fry up the sausage. Break them apart. Drain excess oil after the sausage is browned. Add cream, peas, salt and pepper and simmer for about 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened. 

Boil water with a little bit of salt and olive oil. Cook the pasta until they float. Drain and add to the sauce and toss. Add cheese.

• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 T tamarind paste
• Fish sauce to taste
• 1/4-1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 cup cooked rice
• cilantro
• scallions sliced
• chili oil

Salt and pepper the ground beer and form tiny balls. Bring chicken stock and tamarind paste to a boil and then reduce heat. Add the meat balls and cook for about a minute. Then add the rice until the soup thickens a little bit.

Ladle into bowls and top with a little bit of fish sauce if you want it salty, cilantro and scallions and a dash of chili oil for spiciness.

• 3 lbs chuck cut into chunks
• 16 oz Beer
• 3-4 carrots
• 2 small onions chopped
• whole garlic cloves

Season Beef with Salt + Pepper (and throw in some paprika and cayenne if you want a kick). Heat some olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sear the beef on all sides and remove. 

Pour in a little bit of beer and scrape up the bits. Add the Veggies and cook on a low flame for 45 minutes.

Oven 350. Pour veggies into a tall oven proof dish and nestle the beef chunks in between. Pour in the rest of the beer or until it comes about half way full. Cover and cook in the oven for three hours. Strain the veggies out and return the liquid to the meat.

• day old bread, butter, garlic clove
• 1 12 oz bottle of India Pale Ale
• 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock
• 4 cups of cheddar cheese
• 1 medium onion diced
• 3 T of butter
• 1/3 cup flour
• Blob of mustard
• pinches of cumin
• salt and pepper

Heat the 3T of butter in a pot. Fry onions until clear. Add flour and mustard and cumin and mix well, it should be dry. Stir in the stock and simmer until it is thick. Add the ale and then cheese and stir constantly. The cheese should melt in about five minutes. Pour the soup into your blender and blend. Return to the pot and reheat on low adding salt and pepper.

Make croutons! Tear bread, rub with garlic clove, heat butter in a pan, toss the bread in the butter and brown.

• day old bread
• butter
• about 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast tenders
• about 2 lemons
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp warm water
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 anchovy fillets
• 2 large garlic cloves
• salt & pepper
• 1-2 hearts of romaine
• grated parmesan

Marinate the chicken with 1/2 of a lemon, salt, and freshly cracked peppercorns.

Dressing:
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the tsp of water. Whisk in the olive oil drop by drop until it thickens. Then whisk in the rest of the oil as a steady stream and the dressing should be thick. Crush or mince the anchovies, one garlic clove and a large pinch of salt into a paste. Whisk the paste into the dressing and then add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Add freshly crushed pepper at the end.

Croutons:
Tear the bread into bite sized pieces and rub the second garlic clove on the bread. Heat an appropriate amount of butter in a pan and add the bread bits. Toss to coat the bread and brown them. Remove from pan and set aside.

In the same hot pan fry the chicken. If they are thin they shouldn’t take very long at all.

Tear the lettuce and add chicken, croutons, grated parm and drizzle the dressing.

• 5 medium potatoes or sweet potatoes chopped into chunks
• 1/2 large onion sliced
• 6 gloves of garlic
• 4 roma tomatoes 
• 3 leeks sliced up to the hard green part
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 of a large lemon
• cumin
• some saffron threads
• salt and pepper
• 1-3 tbsp butter

 Heat about 2 T of butter in a large pot and add all of the veggies. As it simmers, squeeze lemon and sprinkle a bit of cumin, salt and pepper over the veggies. Add more butter as needed. When the veggies cook down a bit add the stock and potatoes boil and reduce to a simmer. Add some saffron threads. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Use a blender to puree.