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Restaurant Inspiration - Smoked Salmon & Goat Cheese Toasts over Field Greens

What inspires your recipe ideas?

For me, inspiration comes from so many sources. 

These days, places like Pinterest are a visual treasure trove of food ideas. It took me all of three minutes on the site to become fully obsessed. Of course, other blogs offer amazing ideas daily, and when I am feeling old fashioned, I like to page through my cookbooks, ideally while eating food and watching the Food Channel at the same time. 

                   
Inspiration supercharged.

A Few Of My Favorites, Photo: NK

Photo: NK

Then there will always be my old standby food mags - Every Day Food and Food and Wine are favorites. Gourmet is great when I'm looking for something fancy schmancy.


But by far, my favorite place to gleen inspiration is in restaurants and at other people's tables.

See, I'm a menu snatcher. I grab takeout menus everywhere I go. The best are those that not only list the dish, but include most of the recipe components as well. If something catches my eye, I'll sample it and then take note of the ingredients so I can adapt them on my own.

Today's dinner is wonderful salad inspired by the cute little modern Italian restaurant, Bruschetteria, on Rivington street in the Lower East Side. 


Bruschetteria is a favorite of mine because it offers simple and fresh small plates. It was on a  trip there some years ago that I first tried their Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese on Toast Points over Arugula, Capers, Red Onions, with a Lemon Vinaigrette. I enjoyed it so much that I've been making it ever since. I may be a bit biased because anything with smoked salmon, capers and red onion always makes me a happy woman. 

The adaptations I've made to this dish over the years are largely to husband-proof it. To give you an idea, the first time I made it, the Mr. asked where the rest of his dinner was. He's a peach, right? 


Next time, I added an avocado to make it heartier. He also groans when I give him a salad with only arugula. He'll eat arugula mixed with other greens, but alone, he doesn't like it - "too peppery", he says. I now do a mix of field greens with extra bread on the side - just in case he's still hungry.   

This weekend, after totally overindulging at Easter, we were both ready for something light. When you're feeling the same, this salad makes a great dinner. It's also super as an elegant luncheon dish. Maybe one of these days I will have reason to hold an "elegant luncheon," but to date, I have yet to do so. :)  

Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese on Toast Over Greens, Capers, Olives & Red Onions

Serves 2 - Inspired by Bruschetteria NYC 


What You'll Need:
4 Ounces Organic Mixed Greens
4 Ounces Smoked Salmon - preferably Wild Alaskan 
1/4 Large Red Onion, sliced thinly into half moons
1 teaspoon Capers plus more for Salmon Toasts
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
2 Lemon wedges for serving plus extra for squeezing
1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Ripe Hass Avocado, cut in half, pitted and flesh scored into cubes
10 Kalamata Olives, sliced
3 Ounces good quality Goat Cheese, preferably Boucheron, at room temperature
4 medium slices Russian Rye or bread of your choice, toasted



What To Do:


Cut Bread into four even slices, set in toaster. 

Next, place your Salad Greens into a Large Bowl.


Cut Onions thinly into Half Moons. Toss them into the salad greens, setting aside some of the slices to top the Salmon Toasts.

Next, slice each Avocado half in a crosshatch pattern as below. Run your knife along the skin all around to separate flesh. Leave Avocado in the skin until ready to use, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then top with a big squeeze of Lemon.

Ripe Hass Avocados - So Tasty, Photo: NK

To make dressing, toss 1 teaspoon of Capers in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon Olive Oil and 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice. Mix, crushing some of the Capers a bit with a fork to release their flavor. Set aside.


Pop Bread in the toaster oven to toast lightly. 


Toss chopped Olives into the bowl with the Salad Greens and pour on the Dressing. Toss thoroughly to distribute ingredients and dress. 


Next, place Avocado on top of Greens.

Remove Toast from the toaster and spread each slice with a good amount of Goat Cheese. 
Top each slice with a few pieces of Smoked Salmon, extra Capers, a few slices of Red Onion from what was set aside, and another big squeeze of Lemon Juice. 


To plate, serve 2 Salmon Toasts per dish. Perch them atop the salad greens. Serve with extra Lemon wedges. 


Enjoy! 

Finished Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Toasts over Field Greens, Photo: NK

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Ramped Up - Spaghetti with Ramps, Breadcrumbs, & Poached Egg

Since foraging is the new farming, I thought ramps would be a timely addition to NK's vegetable hall of fame. Not familiar with ramps?

Also known as Wild Leeks, ramps are a foraged green available for a very short period in early spring. A relative of the onion, they grow wild across the US, especially in the Appalachian region. In flavor, they are pungent and garlicky with both edible leaves and bulbs. For even more Neurotic Kitchen Ramp Recipes click HERE.

Ramps are also pretty attractive:

Ramps, Photo: NK

Like most pretty things, they become that much more alluring when they're hard to get. Said to be the earliest green of the spring season, the scarcity of ramps definitely adds to their veggie celeb status. If you look around this time of year, you'll surely see ramps popping up on farm-to-table menus everywhere. If you're lucky enough to have a good farmers market or gourmet produce shop, they're likely to show up during that fleeting window in early April. They have a cult following among chefs and at home cooks alike, as evidenced by this article about retailers price gouging for these sought after beauties: Price Gouging of Ramps! 


Still want more ramp edification? Check out this concise overview of Ramps, courtesy of the Organic Authority: All About Ramps


And this article from a few years back explores the reasons behind the popularity of Ramps, both with chefs and everyday gourmands - Time U.S: For Foodies, Ramps are the New Arugula

~Last April was my first ramp rodeo, and with this newly discovered ingredient, I decided to make Mario Batali's Spaghetti With Ramps. Ramps do well when simply prepared.  Their springy flavor is pronounced and definitely translates best to the palate with minimal interference from competing tastes. Mario's recipe was great, and in the subsequent weeks, I was inspired to buy up as many bunches of ramps as I could so we could enjoy them while they lasted. In general, ramps can be prepared in a similar manner as you would leeks or scallions. They taste fantastic when brushed with oil and simply grilled, or ground into a pesto, and even when pickled (an ideal way to make ramps last past their short seasonal window). Make ramps while the sun shines, I always say...

This year, I decided I would remake the Batali recipe with a few tweaks:

1 - Adding breadcrumbs to amp up the textural complexity of the dish.
2 - Adding a runny, poached egg, because, if you ask me, nothing is better than a runny, poached egg.


First, let's make our Pangrattato, or breadcrumbs. The basic way to make homemade breadcrumbs is simply to let a good quality loaf of bread go stale over a few days. From there, you can grate it on a box grater until you have the desired amount of crumbs. If you are looking for a time-saving option, most good bakeries package and sell their fresh breadcrumbs. It's Monday, so you can bet I will not be grating bread on my own...Short cut time.


Pangrattato with Thyme
Adapted from Jamie Oliver

Makes Half a Cup (Serves 4+)

Ingredients: 
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 cup Grated Bread Crumbs
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Thyme Leaves


Method:
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. 
Stir in breadcrumbs and thyme.
Fry for about 3 minutes, stirring often, until golden brown. Set aside.

Pangrattato Ingredients, Photo: NK

Golden Brown Pangrattato and Thyme, Photo: NK

Spaghetti with Ramps, Pangrattato and Poached Egg
Adapted from Mario Batali
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 Lb Dry Spaghetti
3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 Ounces Ramps - white bulb ends cut off and green leaves cut in half or thirds & set aside.
1/2 cup Pangrattato with Thyme* (recipe above)
4 Farm Fresh Organic Eggs (free range if possible)
1.5 Tablespoons Red Chili Flakes (less if you like it not so spicy)
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt 

Method:

Boil Water in a large pasta pot and add 2 Tablespoons of Salt. 

Cook Spaghetti according to package directions.
While pasta is in the water cooking, heat Oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. 

Meanwhile put water in another high sided frying pan and bring to a slow boil ( for the poached eggs)

Next, Add the white root ends of the ramps to the skillet and saute until tender.

Add a bit of salt and chili flakes. 

Next, add the ramp greens and sauté until totally wilted - at least 5 minutes. Test the ramps by tasting. They can vary between tougher or more tender. If they are on the chewier side you can continue to cook.

Wilting the ramp leaves, Photo: NK

Once pasta is done, drain and add it to the skillet with the ramps. Reserve a half cup of pasta water in case you need to loosen the pasta later.Toss pasta with ramps to coat and turn heat down to the very lowest flame.

Pop your eggs into the slow boiling water and poach (adding a drop of vinegar to the water will help keep the eggs intact). Yolks should remain very soft.

Finished Spaghetti with Ramps, Thyme Pangrattato and Poached Egg, Photo: NK

To plate: Divide pasta among serving bowls, top with breadcrumbs, and carefully slide the poached egg onto the top of each bowl using a slotted spoon.
Serve right away.

Runny Egg Deliciousness, Photo: NK

~Special thanks to my master egg poacher, Mr. NK. 


Buon Appetito! 

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Retro Food Redux - Mad Men Viewing Party Menu

NK's favorite show, Mad Men, is finally returning to AMC after an excruciatingly long hiatus. We just can't wait, and I know we aren't alone. What better way to celebrate our favorite cocktail-swilling, angsty and adulterous ad execs, than with a Sixties-style menu? To put our own mark on tonight's offerings, we've modernized them just a bit - mainly to increase the ease of preparation. Below, you'll find quite a few tasty bites, just like him:

Don Draper, Photo Courtesy of AMC TV

Mad Men Menu:

Pre-Dinner Bite - Mock Rumaki and Pineapple Skewers

Cocktail - Don Draper's Rye Old Fashioned  

Main Course - Easy Deconstructed Beef Wellington 

Dessert - Grasshopper Ice Cream "Pie" Sundaes

Got your Sixties duds ready?  

Now eat up, and happy Mad Man premier night to you all!

Pre Dinner Bite: 

Back in the Sixties, Rumaki was as pervasive at cocktail parties as pigs in a blanket are today. Their invention, which most likely occurred a decade before, is widely attributed to Vic Bergeron of Trader Vic's Restaurant in San Francisco. But what in the world is Rumaki? Traditionally, it's a chicken liver and water chestnut wrapped in bacon and dipped in a sweet and savory sauce. It was said to be Polynesian-inspired with Asian origins.  Back in the Fifties and Sixties, Polynesian food and Luau themed party foods were all the rage. Need more proof? Betty Draper serves Rumaki in season two during the episode, A Night To Remember. 

Our update of Rumaki was two-fold: first, I eliminated the chicken liver component. I wanted to simplify, and though I like various liver-based foods (especially foie gras, which pops up later in our menu), I hadn't yet tackled the liver of a chicken. Secondly, because pineapple was such a favorite addition to any party skewer back in the Sixties, I felt that adding a pineapple cube would add some extra flair and color, while increasing the sweet/savory flavor or these little bites. I have to say, they came out really good.  

Mock Rumaki and Pineapple Skewers

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Serves 3-4 as a light cocktail bite

Ingredients:

1 Lb Bacon, each slice cut into thirds (you'll need 1/3 of a slice of bacon/piece Rumaki 

2 cans Whole Water Chestnuts, drained on paper towels 

Small Pineapple cubes. 1 for every Rumaki bite

1 cup Brown Sugar

4 Tablespoons Ketchup

3 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard of your choice. We used regular yellow deli mustard

2 Tablespoons Butter

3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

Method:

Preheat oven to 350. 

Wrap bacon around the water chestnuts and secure with a toothpick.

Set on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes if you like bacon crispy. Less time, if not. 

Bacon should be golden brown.

Drain skewers on paper towels.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a small to medium sized saucepan and heat through until sugar is dissolved and sauce is hot.

Cook one minute longer, and then transfer to a small bowl. Top each skewer with one cube of pineapple, then dip skewers into sauce and set on a serving plate.

Enjoy! 

Rumaki and Pineapple Skewers! Photo: NK

Cocktail: 

Rendezvous Rye, High West Whiskey, Photo: NK

Our cocktail of the night is not just retro, but very retro. The Old Fashioned is a drink that actually dates back to the late 1800's. There's plenty of hard drinking on Mad Men, and the more drama-stacked scenes just would not be complete without a finger (or three) of scotch and a Lucky Strike. I wish drinking at the office like Don does was still acceptable. Wouldn't that be something? The Old Fashioned is definitely Don's go-to drink, and it was also quite popular in the Sixties and has experienced a resurgence during the last decade as well. Here's a great scene where Don jumps behind a bar to make one himself in Season three's episode, My Old Kentucky Home. Check it out: Don Draper making an Old Fashioned This time around, his chosen spirit is Rye, but Old Fashioned's can also be quite nice with bourbon. After sampling quite a few of both varieties lately, I think Rye makes for a smoother cocktail. 

Don Draper's Old Fashioned

Yield: 1

2 ounces Rye Whiskey

A few dashes Bitters

1 sugar cube

1 drop of Club Soda 

1 orange peel or 1 wedge of orange

Garnish with an orange peel or orange slice. A cherry makes a nice touch too

Don's Favorite Old Fashioned, Photo: NK

What to do: 

Add orange peel or wedge to the bottom of a short rocks glass or tumbler.

Add sugar cube and bitters. 

Pour club soda on top of the sugar cube and muddle carefully as sugar dissolves.

Add Rye, ice, and stir.

Serve with your chosen garnish.

Now look brooding as you sip, like Don. Cheers.

Main Course: 

Beef Wellington was a staple dinner party offering in the Sixties, and a dish that I have always wanted to attempt. Trouble is, it's notoriously difficult to make. A traditional Wellington will be made with a large tenderloin roast, coated with a mushroom and foie gras mixture, then wrapped in a sheet of puff pastry before cooking. I wanted to eliminate the puff pastry wrangling, so I opted for ready cut puff pastry cups to hold our deconstructed Wellington. My variation was inspired by Martha Stewart's "Beef Wellington Tarts." 

Easy Deconstructed Beef Wellington

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Serves 3

Ingredients: 

2 Beef Tenderloin Filets, a half pound a piece

Salt and Pepper

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 package frozen Puff Pastry Shells (packages come six per, you'll use 3)

1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter

1 package Cremini Mushrooms, sliced thin

1 Tablespoons fresh Thyme leaves, plus a few sprigs for garnish

1 Garlic Clove minced

1/2 cup dry White Wine

4 oz Foie Gras Mousse (available at specialty food shops)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Season beef with salt and pepper. 

Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large oven proof skillet over medium-high heat.

Add medallions of beef and cook about 1 minute per side until nicely browned.

Browning Tenderloin, Photo: NK

Place skillet in oven and cook to desired doneness, about 17 minutes should get you to a nice medium rare. The thermometer should register an inside temperature of 130 degrees.

Transfer beef to a plate and let rest, uncovered. Next, turn oven up to 425 and set the puff pastry rounds, one per person, on a cookie sheet. Cook for 20 minutes until they are puffed and golden brown. If cooking directions on the puff pastry box differ, follow them instead.

Meanwhile, melt butter with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, thyme, and garlic, cooking until mushrooms are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl using a slotted spoon, leaving the liquids in the skillet.

Add foie gras mousse to the same skillet and reduce the heat to low. 

Stir until just melted and remove from the heat. You'll want the texture to be a bit runny so it works like a sauce, so feel free to thin it out with a bit more wine if need be.

Note: Your meat will be cold by now. If this bothers you, other variations I would recommend would be:

1. If you are lucky enough to have a large toaster/convection oven or second stove, you could opt to cook the puff pastry at the same time you cook your tenderloin. None of these options applied to me, so I went with the second option.

2. Quickly flash-warm the meat in a pan for about a minute, just to heat it up a bit. If you do choose this option, you may want to shave a few minutes off the original cook time so you don't over cook it.

3. Keep in mind, Filet is pretty delicious even at room temperature and both your foie gras topping and mushroom will be hot.

To assemble: Take each puff pastry round and remove its middle. It should appear like a cup shape. Next, cut about a three inch slice out of its side, leaving the pastry base but removing a portion of the puff pastry wall. Thinly slice beef and arrange a few slices inside the puff pastry circle, spilling out through the cut in the pastry wall. It will look like this:

Assemble like so, Photo: NK 

Place a few more slices of beef between the inside and outside of the puff pastry. Top with the mixture of mushrooms and thyme then drizzle with the foie gras mousse. Serve immediately with some thyme sprigs as garnish and Enjoy! 

Deconstructed Beef Wellington, Photo: NK 

For more Wellington adventures, check out Martha Stewart's hors d'oeuvre adaptation here:

Mushroom Wellington Cups Recipe

Dessert:

Grasshopper Pie is traditionally a chiffon pie of creme de menthe and gelatin in a chocolate cookie crust. Though likely originating in the Fifties, this pie enjoyed great popularity during the Sixties, primarily around the time when all things Jello were incorporated into party dishes (including Jello salads!). You may recall a cocktail called the Grasshopper, also popular during the Sixties, which was made with a concoction of Creme de Menthe, Creme de Cacao, and milk. You haven't really experienced a spinning room until you've overindulged in grasshoppers. I once served them at a party I hosted in my (very) early twenties, and the results were messy, to say the least. They basically taste like a delicious mint chocolate chip shake so it's easy to overdo them... Anyways, never again.  Since we were only serving three people tonight, I felt making a whole pie would be overkill. When I came across this easy, no bake, Grasshopper Ice Cream pie, Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie I got an idea. 

Why not adapt this into more of a sundae? It would be easy to create single serve portions in dessert cups and guests could have fun topping them themselves. Problem solved.

Grasshopper Ice Cream "Pie" Sundaes

Serves 4

Adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients: 

1 Pint of Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

15 chocolate wafer cookies such as Famous brand. 

2 Tablespoons Butter, melted in the microwave

Toppings: Chopped Mini Oreos, Smucker's Magic Shell Chocolate Topping, Dark Chocolate Mint Bar shaved into curls with a vegetable peeler.

Sprigs of Mint - as an optional garnish

Method:

Place chocolate wafers into a zip-loc bag, press out the air, and seal.

Using the bottom of a pan or a rolling pin, press the cookies into crumbs, taking care not to pierce the bag. Remove crumbs to a small bowl and pour in melted butter slowly, until a  crust comes together. If you need a bit more liquid you can add a bit of water. Spoon even amounts of crumbs into each cup, and press moist crumbs into the bottom with your fingers. This can be done in advance if you like. 

Chocolate Crust, Photo: NK

When ready to serve, top with a few scoops of ice cream. Drizzle with Magic Shell chocolate topping, and serve with mini oreos and chocolate curls on the side for guests to add as they like. Garnish with mint if you like. 

Grasshopper "Pie" Sundae, Photo: NK

Thanks for checking out our Mad Men Season Premier menu. For more great ideas on how to throw a Sixties cocktail party, check out AMC TV's Mad Men Party Planner:

AMC's Mad Men Party Guide