Launching and promoting my first book, along with having my beloved sister-in-law and 2-year old niece visiting for a week (and for the record, I lucked out in this department), left me with little time for cooking, or shopping, for that matter. Luckily, my freezer is stocked with some arugula pesto I made weeks ago when I had an abundance of arugula on hand. I know, I know. Pesto is usually made with basil, but I prefer the slightly heated bite of arugula. Arugula is not nearly as sandy as basil (making it easier to clean) and there’s no need to pick the leaves off the stems, especially if you use the smaller varieties often available at places like Whole Foods. I also like to toast the pignoli nuts (also called pine nuts) to give the pesto an extra bit of nuttiness.  Pesto freezes beautifully in zip lock bags and defrosts quickly. If you’re really in a hurry just place the baggie in a bit of hot or slightly simmering water. Then, boil up your favored shape of pasta and stir in the pesto along with some cooked shrimp, chicken or veggies. It’s got to be one of the fastest and most delicious dinners around–and easiest. Does it get any better?  note: I use Parmigiano-Reggiano, but Pecorino, a hard, aged sheep’s milk cheese works, too.

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 large cloves garlic

4 cups loosely packed cleaned arugula

3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

finely grated zest of one lemon

 4 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. On low-medium heat, cook the garlic cloves in the extra virgin olive oil until the garlic is light brown and softened. Use the smallest pan/pot you have so that the garlic is fully submerged in the oil. You can coarsely chop the garlic if necessary. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
2. In a food processor, place the arugula, pine nuts, lemon zest, cheese, black pepper and salt. Blend until a thick paste is formed. Stop and scrape down the sides of the processor bowl.
3. With the food processor running, slowly pour in the garlic and oil in a steady stream. Process until oil is fully incorporated and desired texture is achieved. I like my pesto a little bit chunky. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Why is it that so few shore towns have good seafood restaurants? I grew up on the Jersey shore and have yet to find a single seafood restaurant worthy of recommending. Of course, there’s no shortage, but the fare on offer is overcooked, improperly-fried, often frozen, usually served with a probably-came-in-a-package mix of vegetables and is, to sum up, merely edible. I thought that Cape Cod would be different–and it was, but not by much. Sandwiches we had at the local “gourmet” deli and wine shop missed the mark and the recommended restaurant we tried for dinner was a huge disappointment. Luckily, we (along with some friends) were renting a house, complete with a kitchen stocked with the bare essentials. (Lucky, too, that I had the forethought to bring a good knife, the one tool I cannot live without; unlucky, though, that I mistakenly packed it into my carry-on and had it confiscated by airport security on my way home.)

We happily discovered that there is no shortage of fresh seafood caught daily and sold to the many vacationers renting houses like us. With our limited tools and little more than the fresh fish and produce we bought at farmers markets, we prepared some of the freshest, simplest, and most delicious meals I’ve had. Jesse grilled a whole side of striped bass with lemon juice, olive oil and fresh herbs. Henry dropped lobsters into boiling water (twice in one week!) and baked cod with tomatoes, olives and basil. We had grilled, local corn or squash with almost every dinner. Why would we ever eat out again? For dessert, I chose something I could make from memory and with local fruit that would be a crowd pleaser: a crumble. It is one of the simplest desserts out there, and, for my money, one of the best. Below is a recipe using blueberries from my local farmers market in New York City but stone fruits or other berries work just as well.

2-1/2 pints fresh blueberries

2 T fresh lemon juice

2 T granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 sticks butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Toss the blueberries with the granulated sugar and lemon juice. Pour into a 9″x 9″ baking dish.
3. In a bowl, mix together the flour, light brown sugar, salt and melted butter for the crumble top. Using your fingers, mix the crumble topping until everything is evenly incorporated.
4. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the blueberries.
5. Bake until the blueberries begin to bubble and the crumb top turns a deep brown, about 50 minutes.
6. Cool at least 30 minutes (cooling allows the juice thicken slightly) before serving.
7. Serve with ice cream.

Pound cake is not the first treat that comes to most people’s minds when their sweet tooth starts calling out, probably because most pound cakes are bland in flavor, dense without being rich or just plain bad. But for my English, sweets loving husband, pound cake, specifically a lemon pound cake, is a revelation. He thinks it’s perfect with afternoon tea (of course), after dinner with berries and ice cream, even for breakfast (I told you he has a sweet tooth).

Lemon pound cakes make my husband happy and since they are easy to make (and because I love the way his eyes light up upon smelling one when he walks in the door) I make them more than any other treat or, puddings, as he calls desserts. Last week I didn’t have lemons around and instead used some limes and the result was just as delicious. So, here’s my favorite lemon (or lime) pound cake recipe, one I adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Cake Bible. The method may seem a bit counter intuitive at first (there’s no creaming of the butter and sugar) but the result is a tender, delicious lemon pound cake.

3 Tbsp milk, room temperature

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 sticks (12 Tbsp) butter, soft

zest of one lemon

***

2 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp sugar

1. Grease a loaf pan (approx. 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 3). Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking soda and mix with the whisk attachment for 30 seconds to blend.
3. With a fork, whisk together the eggs, milk, lemon zest and vanilla.
4. Add the softened butter and half the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until just incorporated, then increase speed to med-high and mix for one minute. Scrape down the sides.
5. Add the remaining egg mixture in two batches, mixing for 20 seconds and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
6. Scrape batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted to the middle of the cake, about 55 minutes. I also recommend rotating the cake halfway through the bake time to ensure even baking.
7. Let cool for about 20 minutes.
8. Mix the lemon juice and 3 Tbsp of sugar.
9. Carefully unmold pound cake onto a plate. With a fork, poke holes into the top of the cake.
10. Brush (or spoon) the lemon syrup onto the cake. Don’t worry if it drips down the sides-that’s okay.
11. Transfer cake to a clean plate and cool completely.

I love (and frequent) the Union Square farmers market all year round, but few things excite me more than the arrival of the first summer berries. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries–they are all far superior to their supermarket counterparts, but it’s the black raspberries that bring me the most joy.

I can only guess that black raspberries are too often confused with the blackberries they resemble (black raspberries are “hollow” just like raspberries, but usually smaller than blackberries) since they seem to still be at the market stands after the strawberries have sold out. They have a distinctive flavor–a cross between a raspberry, blueberry and a blackberry perhaps, but one that is truly its own. In a weird way that is both warmly nostalgic and vaguely disturbing, the flavor of fresh black raspberries is reminiscent of the artificially flavored and colored (were sky blue) black raspberry slushies that I got on the Jersey shore boardwalk when I was a kid.

Black raspberries showed up a few weeks ago and will only be around for 2 or 3 more and are well worth their price of $5/pint (one farmer promises they are chock full of antioxidants). They are delicious plain, on cereal or simply sprinkled with sugar and fresh cream. Or, if you want a little more out of your dessert, you can try my recipe that follows for toasted meringue (also known as a pavlova), an easy, delicious and light accompaniment for any fruit.

Toasted Meringue (Pavolova)

makes approx. 16 merinues

1/2 cup egg whites (about 4), room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbsp confectioners sugar, sifted

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip egg whites on medium speed until very soft peaks form.
2. While the mixer is still running, slowly add 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar. Turn mixer to high and let mix for 2 minutes.
3. Again, with mixer running, slowly add 2 more tablespoons of granulated sugar, and mix for 2 minutes. Repeat previous step until all the granulated sugar is incorporated into the meringue. Note: all the grains of sugar should be dissolved before the addition of more sugar. If you are unsure, simply rub a bit of the meringue between your fingers or on your tongue. If you feel grains, keep mixing.
4. When all the granulated sugar is incorporated into the whites, the meringue will be stiff and shiny. Remove from the mixer and fold in the confectioners sugar.
5. Using a large star tip, pipe the meringue onto a parchment-lined sheet pan into circles. Or, using a spoons, drop mounds of meringue onto lined sheet pan and make a “well” in the center of each mound.
6. Place in an oven set at 200 degrees F. for 2-2 1/2 hours, until the meringue gives only slightly when pressed gently with a finger. Once cool, the meringue should be crisp all the way through. If not (or, if after a few humid hours or days in storage, they go soft and sticky again) simply return to the oven for additional time. Store in an airtight container.

Place one meringue in a shallow bowl. Pile berries on top. Pour fresh cream into the bottom of the bowl so that toasted meringue is sitting in a pool of cream. Top with fresh whipped cream.

My first job as a line cook was working garde manger (that’s the cold appetizer/salad station) in a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean restaurant in Tribeca, and making hummus was one of my duties. I made so much hummus, in fact, that I used to say I hated girls named Tammy. A tamis (prounounced, well, you know) is a fine sieve that I used to rid my hummus of lumps and/or bits of coriander seed. Passing the huge vats of hummus through the tiny holes of the sieve was also a huge pain in the rump. But that was more than ten years ago, and I’ve let go of my bitterness. I still make my hummus the same way, though–I just leave out that last step and it tastes just as delicious as it did back at the restaurant. And it’s the perfect lunch to make on a sweltering hot day. My favorite way to enjoy hummus in on a sandwich with pine nuts, red onions and tomatoes.

3 cloves garlic, smashed or roughly chopped

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

1 14-oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed

2 T tahini (sesame paste)

2 T fresh lemon juice

2 T cold water

1/4 heaping teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 heaping teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)

ground black pepper, to taste

1. Place garlic and olive oil in a small sauce pan. Cook on very low heat until garlic softens, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool slightly.
2. In a food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth. Scrape downsides of processor bowl and blend again. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

Because I’ve worked in mostly high-end restaurants over the years (the kinds that would never have a brownie on their menus) I never really had to come up with a recipe for the perfect brownie. So, when a chef friend of mine asked me for help with a new dessert  for his menu, a brownie sundae, I scrapped all my old brownie recipes that had been merely good enough, and started over. After a few tries, I came up with the following recipe, which yields a rich, dense, moist brownie that goes down perfectly with a glass of ice cold milk. They may not belong in three-star restaurants but perfect brownies are a beautiful thing. And if you want to go nuts, add 1 cup walnuts with the flour.

1-1/2 sticks butter (6 oz)
6 0z semi sweet chocolate chips, about 1 cup *
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp instant coffee
3 eggs
1 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp salt
1 c all purpose flour

* I used Hershey’s semi sweet chips but any semi sweet chocolate (50% - 65%) will work.

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and Flour a 9 inch square baking pan.
2. Melt butter and chocolate together in double boiler. Stir in cocoa powder and instant coffee until dissolved.
3. Whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt.
4. Whisk egg mixture into chocolate mixture.
5. Whisk in flour until thoroughly incorporated.
6. Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the pan come out barely clean. Cool.

When I was very small, my mother taught me a valuable lesson: just because a recipe gets published somewhere doesn’t mean you’re going to like the way it comes out. In her case (and ultimately mine, too) things often contain way too much sugar. She instantly looked at the recipe for banana bread that had come with her new blender and decided that not only would she cut down the sugar by half, but she would substitute brown sugar for white. Needless to say, she was right and still uses the same recipe today.

As a pastry chef, I often have loads of bananas going too brown to use for desserts and banana bread is the perfect way to get rid of them (and make the staff happy). Though I started off using my mother’s recipe, I’ve since tweaked the recipe even more, adding walnuts and sour cream. The resulting banana bread is dense and moist–almost bread pudding-like, and definitely not too sweet.

1 stick soft butter
1/2 c dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1 1/4 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 c mashed, over ripe bananas
1/4 c plus 2 Tbsp sour cream
1 c chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a loaf pan (approx. 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″).
2. Cream butter and brown sugar.
3. Add eggs one at a time, and mix on medium speed until incorporated. Between additions, scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula.
4. Add flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed until incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl.
5. Fold in mashed banana and sour cream until fully incorporated. Fold in walnuts.
6. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into center of loaf. Mine took 1 hour and 15 minutes–start checking at 1 hour, as all ovens are different and the one in my NYC apartment kitchen is less than perfect!
7. Cool at least one hour before removing from pan.

Not that I have anything against meat (especially pork) but I don’t always have bacon or a few ham hocks lying around when I decide to make collard greens. However, I do keep smoked sweet paprika from Kalustyan’s (see earlier post) on hand, which works wonders with collard greens–and makes my vegetarian and health conscious friends happy.

2 bunches collard greens (about 15 leaves)

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 T olive oil

1 scant teaspoon sweet, smoked paprika

1 T 1 t fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon)

1/4 t salt

1. Remove and discard the stems from the collards. Wash leaves thoroughly to remove any dirt or grit. (The best way to wash greens is to submerge them in plenty of water and swish them around, then lift them out to drain. All dirt/sand will fall to the bottom).
2. On medium heat, saute garlic until softened about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add smoked paprika and saute for one more minute.
4. Add collard greens and stir to coat with oil and cover.
5. Cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring periodically. If the greens begin to stick to the bottom, add a bit of water.
6. Remove from heat. Add salt and lemon juice and stir to combine. More salt and juice may be added to taste.

One of the upsides of being a pastry chef is that almost everyone loves something sweet. The downside is that, unlike a savory chef, I usually need a recipe before I can be a hero and whip something up. A few years ago I was visiting my mother’s sleepy Tennessee farm with some friends when suddenly, we absolutely had to have some cookies. I tried to remember the simplest recipe I could (a mere 5 ingredients) and winged it–how bad could they turn out? I had flubbed the recipe, but the resulting cookies were delicious nonetheless: buttery, nutty with a soft chew. They were so good that my friend, Dwayne, dubbed them his favorite.

2 sticks butter, soft

3/4 c sugar

1 1/2 c all purpose flour

1 c pecans

1/2 t salt

*almost any nut can be substituted, but pecans are my favorite

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Cream butter and sugar.

3. Chop pecans with 1/4 cu of the flour in a food processor. Combine with remaining flour and salt.

4. Add dry ingredients to butter/sugar mixture. Stir until well combined, making sure all ingredients are evenly and thoroughly incorporated.

5. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat (you can also use a small ice cream scoop). Leave about 2 inches between spoonfuls because the cookies will spread as they bake. The dough can be stored (covered) in the fridge for up to a week.

6. Bake for 12-16 minutes, or until lightly browned. The baking time may vary depending on your oven, but in my sup-par, New York City apartment kitchen oven, they took closer to 16 minutes.

7. Cool completely. Makes about 26 cookies.