wake and bake

ingredients

rib marinade:

3 racks baby back ribs (about 5 pounds)

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whiskey

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

glaze and dipping sauce:

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons hot water

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons mirin

procedure

1. put the ribs in a large zip lock bag. in a medium bowl, whisk the soy sauce with the whiskey, honey, ginger, sesame oil, cinnamon and nutmeg. pour the marinade over the ribs and turn to coat. cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.

2.  in a small bowl, combine the honey with the hot water. in a medium bowl, combine the lime juice with the fish sauce, soy sauce, pepper flakes, cilantro and mirin; stir until the sugar is dissolved.

3. preheat the oven to 300°. line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. arrange the ribs on the baking sheet, meaty side up. roast for about 2 hours, until tender. baste the ribs with the honey mixture and roast for another 15 minutes, until browned and glossy. remove the ribs from the oven and baste again with the honey mixture.

4. transfer the racks to a cutting board and cut into individual ribs. arrange the ribs on a platter and serve the dipping sauce alongside.

for the slaw:

ingredients:

1/2 head of green cabbage, sliced thin

1/2 head of purple cabbage, sliced thin

1 large carrot, julienned

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbs cilantro, minced

1 tbs sambal (chili based sauce)

2 tbs toasted sesame seeds

2 tablespoons sesame oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

procedure

put cabbages and carrots in a medium mixing bowl.  add all other ingredients to the bowl and mix thoroughly.  adjust seasoning and flavor to your liking.

ingredients

2 pounds mussels in shells

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 baby fennel, sliced thin

3 garlic cloves, sliced thin

1 tsp red pepper flakes

5 shishito peppers, stems removed, sliced thin on a bias

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup good lager beer

1 to 3 tablespoons butter, to taste

juice from half a lemon

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Crusty bread, for serving

procedure

1. rinse mussels under cold running water. If you see hairy clumps around the shell (called beards), use a sharp knife or your fingers to pull them off, then scrub shells well with a vegetable brush.

2. in a saute pan, heat olive oil, then add fennel, garlic, peppers, red pepper, and a pinch of salt and pepper. sauté until everything is softened, 3 minutes. pour in beer and bring to a simmer. add mussels and cover pan. let mussels steam, stirring once or twice, until they open, 5 to 10 minutes. use a slotted spoon to transfer mussels to bowls. discard any that have not opened.

3. add butter, herbs, lemon juice, and mustard to pan juices and bring to a boil. whisk until butter melts, then taste and correct seasonings (add more lemon if liquid tastes bitter). pour over mussels and serve with bread for sopping up juices.

in vietnam, goi cuon (rice paper-wrapped salad rolls) are street food, often served with a bean dipping sauce. over here, they’re a light appetizer accompanied by a sweet-sour-spicy sauce. either way, can’t think of a more refreshing start to a summer meal.
the delicate rice paper wrappers used in these rolls can be a little tricky to work with, so have a few extra on hand for practice. you’ll want to soak the rounds just long enough to make them pliable, 10 seconds. if they’re limp and sticky, you’ve soaked them too long.

ingredients:

for dipping sauce:

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

3 tbs fish sauce

3 tbs sugar

2 fresh red thai chiles, thinly sliced

for the summer rolls:

4 ounces bean thread noodles (cellophane or transparent noodles)

12 8” rice paper rounds

18 cooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, halved lengthwise

1 cup fresh basil

1 cup fresh cilantro, plus 1 tbs chopped

1 cup fresh mint

1 cup sprouts

ingredients

3 pounds fresh asparagus, rinsed

8 cups chicken stock

4 tbs unsalted butter

1 onion, sliced thin

2 spring garlic, greens chopped off, bulbs sliced thin

bouquet garni: thyme, bay leafs, coriander seeds, black pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 cup cider vinegar, or to taste

salt and black pepper to taste

grated parmesan, garnish

drizzle of olive oil to finish

procedure

a way to present the full-flavored greens of spring on an undersung grain. 

ingredients

1 1/2 cups wheat berries

2 medium onions, halved, divided

5 sprigs thyme

8 tbs olive oil, divided

salt

a few fiddlehead ferns

a few ramps, cut in half or left whole

one bunch stinging nettles, leaves removed and stems discarded

1 lemon juiced

parmesan, to finish

procedure

1)  combine wheat berries, 1 onion half, thyme sprigs, and 2 tbs salt in large saucepan, add water to cover by 2”.  bring to boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until wheat berries are just tender, but still firm to the bite, about 40 minutes.  add more water if dries up.  drain; discard onion and thyme.  place wheat berries in a large bowl, let cool.

2)  cut remaining onion halves crosswise into 1/2” slices.  heat 1 tbs oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.  add onions.  season with salt and pepper.  cook, stirring until onions are charred in spots, about 5 minutes.  transfer to bowl with wheat berries.  add 1 tbs of oil to the same skillet, working in batches, cook the fiddleheads, then the ramps, then the stinging nettles.  all removed and added to the bowl before adding the next spring green.  the point of this is to quickly give the vegetables an outside char, but without fully cooking them.  especially with the ramps, you want to preserve the green, so you might want to remove those and let the bulbs finish on their own in the pan. 

3)  drizzle everything with lemon juice in the bowl and any remaining oil.  toss to coat.  season with salt and pepper, add some shaved parmesan to finish.

buttermilk, merely because i love the subtle tang. follow this same ratio for everyday french toast, and simply substitute regular milk or almond milk as desired, so don’t feel like you need to make an extra trip to the market.  but it’s worth it.

serves 2

ingredients

1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. muscavado or brown sugar
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
4 slices whole grain bread (1/2” slices if using fresh)
2 tsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. natural cane sugar
1 large banana, sliced on a bias
toasted pecan pieces
powdered sugar, optional
maple or agave nectar, optional

procedure

in a glass pie pan or square pan whisk the egg and vanilla very well. whisk in the sugar, cinnamon, salt and buttermilk until completely combined.

in a cast iron or pan of choice, warm a small pat of butter over medium heat, to coat the bottom of the pan. dredge the pieces of bread in the custard, flipping a few times to be sure they’re coated. allow any excess to drip off, and add the bread to the hot pan. allow to cook for about 2 minutes on one side, when the bottoms are golden and toasty, flip it to the other side, cover and cook another 2-3 minutes until the bottom is toasted dry and when you push on the center, you can tell it’s not soggy. it will be tender, but no liquid should squish out.

while the toast is cooking, in another pan, warm the 2 tsp. of butter and sugar. add the sliced bananas and give them a quick saute just to warm through, about 1-2 minutes.

serve each portion with some of the bananas and their sauce, pecan pieces and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. depending on the breads moisture, add a drizzle of agave or maple as desired.

ingredients

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms

5 ounces fresh baby portobello mushrooms

5 ounces fresh cremini mushrooms

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup rough chopped yellow onion

1 carrot, rough chopped

1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup dry white wine

2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

procedure

this is a recipe i adapted from Hugh Acheson’s, A New Turn in The South, i enjoy a more acidic pickle so i added some cider vinegar and some other stuff.

ingredients

1 tbs Old Bay seasoning

half pound shrimp, peeled 

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp allspice berries

1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes

salt to taste (start with 1 tbs)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup cider vinegar

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

6 bay leaves, crushed

1/4 cup parsley, chiffonade

1/2 medium spanish onion, thinly sliced

procedure

1) prepare an ice bath by filling a medium bowl with ice and water.  bring a large pot of water to a boil.  add the old bay, then the shrimp, and immediately reduce the heat to low.  cook for 2 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink through and just cooked.  plunge the shrimp into the ice bath to cool, then drain and reserve in the fridge.

2)  prepare the pickling liquid by placing the rest of the ingredients, except the parsley and onion, in a pot.  add half cup of water, bring to a boil.  place the shrimp in a jar with the onions and parsley.  pour the pickling liquid over the shrimp and vegetables.  cover and let sit in the fridge for 24 hours. 

adapted from hannah nordgren

ingredients

1 bunch of any type of grape you like

4 cups white vinegar

3 cups sugar

2 T salt

1 T black peppercorns

1 t coriander seeds

1 T fresh tarragon leaves

2 bay leaves (dry or fresh)

procedure

clean and take grapes off the stem.  place in a jar.  put everything else in a pot and bring up to a boil.  pour over the grapes.  let sit uncovered til it cools down.  after two days, keep refrigerated. 

recipe adapted from nyt

ingredients

2 tbs olive oil

1lb ground lamb

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 onion, finely chopped

2 green bell peppers, diced

1 small bunch cilantro, cleaned

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 small jalapeños, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chile powder, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 1/2 cups cooked white beans (homemade or canned)

Plain yogurt, for serving

pickled red onions, for serving

procedure

1. heat the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. add the lamb and cook, breaking up with a fork, until well browned, 5 minutes. season with salt and pepper. transfer meat to a paper towel-lined plate.

2. add the onion and green peppers. cook until the vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. finely chop 2 tablespoons of the cilantro stems and add to the pot. stir in the garlic and jalapeño and cook 2 minutes. add the chile powder, coriander and cumin, and cook 1 minute. stir in the tomato paste and cook until it begins to turn brown.

3. return the lamb to the pot. stir in 4 cups water, the beans and 1/4 teaspoon salt. simmer over medium-low heat for 45 minutes; add more water if the chili becomes too thick. taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. ladle into bowls, and top with a dollop of yogurt and a squeeze of lime. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and pickled red onions