Destination: Paris - Classic Croque Monsieur

Last week, the husband and I took a lovely trip to France. I have a real thing for this country - the people, the landscape, and of course the amazing food and wine. In just seven action-packed days, and with the help of our usual obsessive over-planning, we managed to really soak it all in. Here are a just a few highlights:

Beautiful Paris, Photo: NK

A day trip to Brittany and the Abbey of Mont St. Michel, Photo: NK

Three days in the countryside - Amboise, Loire Valley, Photo: NK

Between touring the City of Light and chateau and vineyard hopping the in gorgeous Loire Valley countryside, we enjoyed several very special meals. 

Crab, Scallop and Mango Tart in Amboise, Photo: NK

Amazing Oysters at Huitrerie Regis, Paris, Photo: NK

Decadent Roast Chicken in Pastry over Black Rice at Restaurant Mariette, Paris, NK

Profiteroles at the amazing Les Closeaux just outside of Amboise, Photo: NK

Clearly, France offered no shortage of culinary inspiration, so when we got home, I had the urge to try to make something really simple yet classically French. Croque Monsieur seemed like just the thing. 


Croque Monsieur is basically a toasted ham and cheese made all the more sinful by the addition of a creamy sauce and grated gruyere topping. Below, I've adapted Martha Stewart's recipe just a bit. The result was gooey, delicious, and decidedly not diet. Enjoy and bon appetit!


Classic Croque Monsieur
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves 4 


Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 Cups of Whole Milk
1 Cup Grated Gruyere Cheese plus 8 Slices of Thinly Sliced Gruyere
Kosher Salt to Taste
Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Nutmeg
8 Slices Country Style White Bread - we used Arnold brand
6 Ounces French Bistro Ham Cold cuts or other cold cut Ham


Method:
Preheat the oven to 450 and set a rack in the middle and a rack near the broiler.
Toast the 4 Slices of Bread. Don't worry if they are extra crunchy. It will make for a nice texture later. Leave the oven on. 


Butter a baking sheet and set aside. 


Next, set two medium sauce pans on the stove. 


In one, melt Butter over medium-high heat. Gradually stir in the flour and whisk constantly until the mixture bubbles up. Continue whisking for about 3 minutes. The mixture will take on a golden peanut butter color. Turn off the heat and set aside. 

Butter and Flour Mixture, Photo: NK

In the other sauce pan, heat the Milk over medium heat. Once warmed, pour the hot milk into the first sauce pan, incorporating it with the butter and flour mixture slowly. Whisk briskly and continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Turn the burner back on medium and continue whisking. Allow mixture to come to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer two minutes more. Stir in Half a Cup of the Grated Gruyere, and add Salt to taste, Pepper to Taste, and a dash of Cayenne and Nutmeg. Remove from the heat and pour the cheesy sauce into a bowl to cool for 2 to 3 minutes. 

Next, lay 4 slices of Toast down on a work surface. 

Cover each slice with about a Quarter Cup of Cheese Sauce. 

Toasts with Cheese Sauce, Photo: NK

To assemble the sandwich, lay one slice of Gruyere on top of the sauce, followed by a slice to a slice and a half of Ham. Top Ham with another slice of Gruyere, and top each sandwich with the remaining slices of toast. Press lightly to close the sandwich. Pour another Quarter Cup of Sauce on top of each sandwich and sprinkle them all with the remaining Grated Gruyere.

Assembled Croque Monsieur ready to bake, Photo: NK

Place sandwiches on the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 5 minutes until cooked through.

Turn on the broiler and finish sandwiches for another 2 to 3 minutes under the broiler until the tops become golden brown and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Voila! Finished Croque Monsieur, Photo: NK

Photo, NK

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Cinco De Mayo - Tacos Al Pastor Made Easy

Sure, we're a bit late, but we couldn't let Cinco De Mayo go by without making some tacos. For today's menu, I chose Tacos Al Pastor - by far my most favorite type of taco. When we go out for Mexican and they're absent from the menu, my heart sinks.  Seriously. I don't know if it's the pineapple/pork combo that does it for me, the smoky, spicy marinade, or the crunchy onion topping and fresh cilantro. Who knows? And why wonder? Let's just eat.

Tacos Al Pastor - King of the Tacos, Photo: NK 

Today's Tacos were adapted to be a bit more weekday friendly. With 15 minutes of prep and marinating a day in advance (please read notes about Marinating Time in red below), they shouldn't take you more than a half hour the day of. Many Tacos Al Pastor recipes call for a whole loin of pork, but since these tend to come in 2-3 pound roasts, it would be overkill for just the two of us. To solve this conundrum, I adapted Bon Appetit's recipe by using pork loin chops. This change makes the recipe cheaper and allows for easier handling and portion adjustment. If you're serving a big crowd (more than 4), definitely go for a whole loin. 

Here's how to do it:

Tacos Al Pastor Made Easy
Adapted from Bon Appetit - Stephen Raichlen
Serves 3-4

Taco and Marinade Ingredients:
1 large White Onion, cut in half
1 large Pineapple, peeled fully and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch thick rounds 

Cutting the Pineapple, Photo: NK

1/2 cup Orange Juice
1/4 cup White Vinegar
1/4 cup Chile Powder
3 Garlic Cloves, halved
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon dried Cumin
1 teaspoon dried Oregano
2 Small Chipotle chiles + 2 tsp Adobo from the can* 
(*purchase Chipotle Chiles in Adobo)

4 - 1 Inch Boneless Pork Loin Chops - about 1 Lb
1/3 cup Chopped Cilantro
Small Corn Tortillas - 3 to 4 per person
Smoky Chipotle Salsa - recipe follows*
Lime Wedges, for serving

*Smoky Chipotle Salsa Ingredients
1/4 Beefsteak or 2 Plum Tomatoes chopped

2 teaspoons Adobo Sauce from the Canned Chipotle Chiles in Adobo, plus one small Chile

1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
1 Clove Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Chile Powder
Salt to taste

Method:

The Day Before
Make your marinade - 
Coarsely chop 1/2 the Onion

Marinating the Pork Loin Chops, Photo: NK

Coarsely chop 2 Pineapple Rounds, discarding pineapple cores
Place Onion and Pineapple in the blender.
Add Orange Juice, Vinegar, Chile Powder, 3 Garlic Cloves, Kosher Salt, Oregano, Cumin, Chipotle Chiles and 2 teaspoons of Adobo. 
Puree the Marinade until smooth. 

~ About 1-5 hours before you want to cook your meat, pour Marinade over Pork and seal in airtight containers to refrigerate. NOTE: While overnight marinating in citrus/acid is not usually recommended for Meat (as it breaks down the texture), it works just fine, in my opinion, for this dish because Al Pastor Pork is chopped up small and having it be tender is not a bad thing. Grilling the pork on very high heat gives it some of its texture back. 

Still, Marinating between 1-5 hours is really the optimal amount, but for a ready to make meal on a weeknight, I don't mind letting this sit overnight. It's entirely up to you and your schedule, though there's no doubt that the texture of the meat it certainly is improved by keeping the marinating time under 5 hours.

Make your Smoky Chipotle Salsa - 
Blend all the Smoky Chipotle Salsa ingredients until incorporated and smooth. 
Seal in an airtight container. The Salsa can be refrigerated several days.

The Day Of
Marinate meat if you have not already. 

Prepare a barbecue or Grill Pan (medium high heat). Grill the remaining Pineapple until warm and grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from grill to a cutting surface. Remove Pineapple cores and chop into one inch cubes.

Grilling the Pineapple, Photo: NK

Place Pork on the grill with some marinade still clinging to it. Cook on high flame about 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through. Remove from grill and let rest a minute or two. 

Finely chop the remaining Onion half. Combine Onion in a bowl with the Chopped Cilantro.

Cube the Pork into bite-sized pieces. Place Pork in another bowl with Pineapple chunks.
Toss to incorporate.

Marinated Pork and Grilled Pineapple Goodness, Photo: NK

Grill Tortillas for one minute on each side to warm. 

To Serve
Top Tortillas with Pork and Pineapple Mixture.
Add the Cilantro and Onion Mixture on top.
Drizzle Smoky Chipotle Salsa on top of it all and garnish each plate with lime wedges. 

Enjoy! 

North Fork Bounty - Farmers Market Veggie Pasta

Our recent trip to the North Fork of Long Island was just the thing to inspire some light, farm to table spring dishes. 

For just a brief weekend jaunt, we got a lot done. 

A trip to one of our favorite Long Island wineries,  

Peconic Bay Winery in Cutchogue, NY, Photo: NK

followed in close succession by the purchase of several bottles of our favorite buttery Chard:

Peconic Bay Chardonnay - La Barrique, 2009, Photo: NK

Next, a quick game of mini golf then lunch at a really yummy retro-diner. Lobster roll, please!

The Modern Snack Bar, Aquebogue, NY, Photo: NK

But our day would not have been complete without several stops at the North Fork's numerous farm stands.

Photo: NK

Most everything looked delicious, but a few veggies really stood out. 

The Take:

ASPARAGUS

TOMATOES

SPRING GARLIC 

MUSHROOMS - Maitake (also known as Hen of the Woods) and Beech Mushrooms

Photo: NK 

Beech and Maitake Mushroom Varieties, Photo: NK

I've been wanting to check out Spring Garlic for some time now. Also known as Green Garlic, Spring Garlic is basically garlic in a younger state that is harvested prior to maturity. It will include a large green stalk and look a bit like a leek or majorly overgrown scallion. Both the bulb end and the greens are edible and can be cooked in the same manner you would a leek or scallion. Spring Garlic is generally milder and less pronounced in flavor than regular garlic, yet a bit more pungent than green onions or scallions.

Now for the challenge:

To create a light pasta dish using all my farm fresh produce, and maybe give me an excuse to open my Chardonnay :) 

Here's what I came up with:

Whole Wheat Fusilli, Spring Garlic, Mushrooms, Asparagus Coins & Oven Dried Tomatoes
Loosely adapted from the FruitGuys Almanac

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

1/2 Lb Whole Wheat Fusilli or other pasta of your choice

2 large stalks of Spring Garlic
5-7 Ounces Mixed Fancy Mushrooms (we used Beech and Hen of the Woods aka Maitake) 

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon salted Butter
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons White Wine

4 Tablespoons minced Chives plus several whole Chives reserved for garnish. 

1 pinch Crushed Red Pepper Flake 
Kosher Salt, 1 Tablespoon for pasta water plus more for seasoning

Black Pepper
Optional pinch of Crushed Red Pepper

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated

*Asparagus Coins (Optionally prepare ahead, recipe below)

*Oven Dried Tomatoes ( Make at least one day ahead, recipe below)

Method:

Before you begin, prepare your Asparagus Coins (the day before or day of) and set aside the Oven Dried Tomatoes you prepared the day before. Recipes for both are listed if you scroll all the way down. 

Set a large pasta pot to boil with 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt. Once boiling, prepare Pasta according to the box instructions.

Chop the white bulb ends of the Spring Garlic off. Mince the white bulbs until you have about 2 Tablespoons. Now, slice the green part of the stalks crosswise into rings until you have about 3 Tablespoons. Set aside 1 Tablespoon of the green parts to use as garnish when the dish is complete.

Spring Garlic, Photo: NK

In a saute pan, heat 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil and 1 Tablespoon Butter over medium flame until Butter is melted. Add 2 Tablespoons minced Garlic (white parts) and 2 Tablespoons Sliced Garlic stalk (green parts). Saute until garlic becomes aromatic, about 2 minutes, taking care not to let the garlic burn. Add Mushrooms and Wine and sauté over low to medium heat for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms have softened and have created some moisture. Turn off the heat. 

When Pasta has cooked, drain fully (reserving some cooking liquid) and return to pasta pot. To the pasta pot, stir in the Mushrooms, Lemon Juice, Minced Chives, and one or two Tablespoons of reserved Pasta Water. Toss the contents well and season generously with Salt and Pepper to taste. Add the optional Crushed Red Pepper. Finally, stir in the Oven Dried Tomatoes and Asparagus Coins. 

To serve, scoop pasta into bowls, sprinkle with grated parmesan and the reserved garlic greens you set aside. Optionally garnish with a few whole chives. 

Whole Wheat Fusilli with Spring Garlic, Mushrooms, Asparagus & Oven Dried Tomatoes, Photo: NK

Enjoy! 

*Asparagus Coins

Serves 2

Ingredients:

6-8 stalks of Asparagus, bottoms trimmed, tops cut off. 

Asparagus Coins, Photo: NK

Method:

Simply line stalks up and slice them into 1/4 inch coins.  

To cook, toss in boiling water for 60 seconds before draining and blanching in cold water. 

Season as desired.

Storage:
Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and stored in the fridge in an air-tight container. You can even skip the cooking and serve raw if you like. 

Uses:

Asparagus coins are great in pastas, mixed into rice, or even as an addition to soups and salads.

*Oven Dried Tomatoes

2 Servings 

Ingredients:

1 Lb or more medium or large Tomatoes of your choice, for this recipe Plum or Campari would work best.

Tomatoes Ready to Cook, Photo: NK

Kosher Salt

Pepper

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

Sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 250. 

Slice Tomatoes to about 1/4 or 1/3 inch thick. Just be sure to keep them uniformly thick. 

Place Tomatoes on a wire rack over a baking sheet with sides.

Drizzle with olive oil and top with salt, a small pinch of sugar, and black pepper.

Cook for 2.5 to 3 hours until dried and wrinkled. 

Storage:
Can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. They will lose some of their dryness but will still taste delicious. 

Uses:

Wonderful tossed into pastas, as a pizza topping, delicious on their own, or even as a crostini or sandwich topping. Can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. They will lose some of their dryness but will still taste delicious. 

Oven Dried Tomatoes, Photo: NK

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Dinner Sandwich - Ribeye with Fried Egg, Mixed Mushrooms, & Parsley Vinaigrette

Sandwiches. 
Americans just love them. And for good reason. Just the other day a major discussion broke out in my office on the subject of the many virtues of the Turkey Sandwich. The participants, myself included, were impassioned. The conversation got me thinking. Sandwiches really are pretty wonderful. So wonderful, in fact, that I should dedicate my next blog post to them.

As luck would have it, I own a cookbook dedicated totally to sandwiches. It happens also to be penned by the man that among many other culinary achievements, has elevated sandwich-making to an art: Tom Colicchio. 

Photo: NK 

Sure, Tom's a celebrity chef, but a legit one. His original restaurant, Craft, remains one of our favorite places to go for a fancy occasion. Watching Top Chef was and still is a ritual in our house, so several years ago when I heard that Tom would be signing his new sandwich cookbook, 'wichcraft, at our local Williams Sonoma, I got ready to stand in line for the perfect gift for the future Mr.NK.

'wichcraft is a book worth owning if you're serious about sandwiches and want to invest a bit of time in them. The recipes can be intense, even a little complicated, but if you're looking for a standout meal-worthy sandwich or just to jazz up an everyday American classic like the PB&J, it's really worth a look. The photos alone are inspiring, and as with many cookbooks that I love, it serves as a great jumping off point for many adaptations. The recipes can also be naturally simplified using store-bought components.

Photo: NK 

The book signing was quite a funny scene. As you can see, I requested that Mr. Colicchio and his collaborator, Sisha Ortuzar, autograph the book using a certain someone's pet name. Chef Who?, Tom asked with furrowed brow, looking on the verge of mild annoyance. KO-A-LA, I clarified.  Thankfully, Both men very graciously obliged, despite my ridiculousness. Autographs - check! Shame myself in front of lovably ornery celebrity chef - double check! 

Today, we'll be ever-so-slightly adapting Tom's wonderful recipe for Skirt Steak with Fried Egg, Oyster Mushrooms, and Parsley Vinaigrette, as featured in the 'wichcraft cookbook. Splurge on a quality steak for this one. We're using Ribeye because, well, it's my fave. One good sized cut of meat will go a long way here. And as always, all foods are better with a runny egg on top of them.

Ribeye Sandwich with Fried Egg, Mixed Mushrooms, And Parsley Vinaigrette
Adapted from Tom Colicchio and Sisha Ortuzar's 'wichcraft cookbook 
Serves 3

Ingredients: 
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon minced Garlic - we used milder Elephant Garlic, but regular is just fine
8 ounces pre-packaged mixed mushrooms - we used Baby Bellas, Oyster & Shitake varieties
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
1 Lb Ribeye, preferably grass fed, brought to room temperature
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
3 Eggs, preferably free range, organic
3 Ciabatta Rolls or other soft but sturdy bread
*2-3 Tablespoons Parsley Vinaigrette - Recipe Below

*Parsley Vinaigrette

Recipe by Tom Colicchio and Sisha Ortuzar

Yield - 1/2 Cup

Text From 'wichcraft Book, Photo: NK

To Make the Vinaigrette:

Combine ingredients in a bowl until fully incorporated. 

Parsley vinaigrette can be made ahead and will keep in the fridge for about four days. 

Parsley Vinaigrette, Photo: NK

To Make the Sandwiches: 

Set your Parsley Vinaigrette aside.
Add Oil and Garlic to your skillet and heat over medium flame.
When garlic becomes aromatic, add the Mixed Mushrooms and cook about five minutes until tender and browned.

Oyster Mushrooms, Photo: NK

Remove Mushrooms from the heat and place in a large bowl. Pour in the Parsley Vinaigrette and stir together to incorporate. Set aside.

Mushroom and Parsley Mixture, Photo: NK

Season the meat on both sides using Kosher Salt and Pepper. Heat a grill pan to Medium High and add the meat. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side to bring it to a perfect medium rare.

Remove Steak from the grill and set over the bowl with the Mushroom and Parsley Mixture. Tom is ingenious, by the way. We do this so that the Steak juices combine with the Mushroom and Vinaigrette. Cover Steak and bowl with foil to keep warm.

Ribeye over Mushroom and Vinaigrette, Photo: NK

Using a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter.

Once butter is hot, add your eggs, one for every sandwich you are making. 

Flip eggs carefully half way through the cooking to seal the top a bit. You want the yolks to be runny in the middle yet set around the edges. Season with Salt and Pepper and remove to a plate. 

Take your Steak and thinly slice the meat against the grain.

Cut the Ciabatta rolls in half and scoop a bit of the bread from the top half.   

To Assemble: 

Lay slices of meat across the bottom half of the bread. 

Top with Mushroom and Parsley Vinaigrette Mixture.

Top the Steak with the Mushroom and Vinaigrette Mixture, Photo: NK

Finish with an Egg on top of it all.

Close the sandwiches and slice in half. 

Photo: NK 

Here it is, ready to go.   

Photo: NK 

I must say, the result was incredibly delicious. The grass-fed Ribeye was amazingly tender, the Ciabatta, soft but sturdy, and the parsley and mushroom mixture added just the right amount of mild, fresh flavor with a hint of vinegar to cut the richness. Try it, and enjoy this and all your dinner sandwich adventures. 

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