Desire for happiness

Hot Smoked Salmon, Soba and Asian Greens Salad

I got hooked on hot-smoked salmon while living in England where my corner fishmonger sold me some of his personally recommended local stuff. I had to limit myself to buying this only once a week. It was sweet and salty, firm and creamy all at the same time. The “hot” here doesn’t mean spice. It’s the temperature at which the smoking process occurs (between 145-150 degrees Fahrenheit), which fully cooks the fish, giving it a light pink silken internal texture a tawny, smoky skin. I used it in maki rolls, with asparagus and hollandaise and in my daughter’s lunchbox. And I concocted this Asian-inspired noodle salad which has a good contrast of flavor, texture and color.
You may be able to find good hot smoked salmon where you live and by all means use it to make this salad as a very easy, very cool dinner on a hot night. I, unfortunately can’t get my hands on the good stuff in Central PA, so I’ve learned to hot smoke my own salmon for this recipe using a stovetop smoking contraption involving my wok, a bunch of tin foil and the lid of my lobster pot, a trick adeptly demonstrated by former New York Times Magazine food writer.

Smoking sounds so intimidating and time consuming, right? We're here to tell you it's not. You don't even need a stove top smoker. We used Amanda's wok, lined it with foil and set the fish on a round cake rack set above the wood chips. After sealing the wok with more foil, we simply turned on the burner and let it smoke away. (It does help to have a good fan above your stove.) The salmon, which is brined before smoking, emerges from the smoker taut and bronzed, infused with five spice powder, salt, sugar and soy sauce. You can also broil or grill the salmon if you want to skip setting up the smoker -- you just won't get that rich woodsy flavor. Then it's up to you to either leave the salmon whole or break it into bits to mix with soba noodles, tatsoi and a kicky ginger dressing.

Serves 4 for a starter and 2 for a main course

Hot smoked salmon

1/2 pound fillet of salmon (I used wild caught sockeye, because the color is lovely.)
1/4 cup cup kosher salt
1/3 cup turbinado sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice

Cut salmon fillet lengthwise in two even pieces.
Combine salt, sugar, say sauce and Chinese five spice with 1 quart of warm water and stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Let fish sit in this brine for one hour at room temperature.
Remove fish from brine, dry it completely and place on a rack. Put rack uncovered in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
Using a stove-top smoker, smoke the salmon for about 8 minutes at a temperature in the range of 145-50 degrees. Allow salmon to cool completely.

Soba noodle salad

8 ounces buckwheat soba noodles
Juice of one lemon
4 tablespoons Soy Sauce
3 tablespoons Mirin
2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/3 cup warm water, more if necessary. You want this to be somewhat thin as it’s more of a broth than a dressing.
2 cups small tat soi leaves, whole

Prepare the soba noodles as directed on package. Rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Whisk together lemon juice, soy sauce, mirin, ginger, sugar and sesame oil. Add water to desired strength. Toss about half of the dressing with noodles.

Divide tat soi leaves into bowls and mix with the dressed noodles.

Either leave the salmon whole and set it atop the noodles or break it into bite-sized pieces on top of the salad.

Drizzle the remaining dressing over the completed salad and serve immediately.

Helen’s Summer Berry Pudding with Rose Cream

Summer pudding is luscious and juicy and hard to resist—a perfect dish to make when berries are ripe and abundant. If only people would give it a try!

This seriously good dessert belongs in your repertoire; it’s also ultra-seasonal, easy to make, and quite pretty. Another bonus: It should be made at least 1 and up to 3 days ahead, so there’s never any last minute pressure.

Helen preferred Northridge English Muffin Toasting Bread and when I can’t find that, I use Country Buttermilk or Country Potato.

Serves 5 to 6

3 1/2 to 4 cups ripe berries such as raspberries, blackberries, boysenberries, and a handful of red currants if they are available
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided, or to taste
3 to 4 slices decent white sandwich bread with a tight crumb (nothing crusty or fluffy or with an open grain—see headnote)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon rose water, or more to taste

Grease a one-quart bowl (5 to 6 inches across the top and 3 to 4 inches deep makes a good shape) and line it with a piece of plastic wrap long enough to hang over on two sides, opposite, pressing it into the bowl as smoothly as possible.

Cut the crusts from the bread. Use scissors or a sharp knife to cut the bread into triangles. Line the inside of the bowl with the wedges, placing the narrow ends in the bottom. Use wet fingers to fit the bread pieces very snuggly together with no spaces in between. Set the lined bowl and remaining bread aside.

In a non-reactive saucepan large enough to hold the berries in about 1 1/2 layers, combine the berries and 1/2 cup sugar.

Heat the berries, turning them gently until they begin to throw off their juices. Do not boil: The aim is not to cook the berries but only to warm them and coax forth their juices. You may taste and adjust the sugar but Helen advised me to “stay on the tart side.”

Spoon the berries and juices into the lined bowl. Fit more bread on top to cover the berries. Cover with the overhanging plastic wrap.

Place a saucer small enough to fit inside the bowl on top of the wrap and weight it with a large can of beans or similarly heavy object. Set the bowl on a larger plate in case juices overflow.

Refrigerate at least over night, but one or two days is even better, as the pudding is best when the bread is fully soaked with berry juices. [Editors' note: We made the pudding on Friday evening and ate it on Monday afternoon.]

When you're almost ready to serve, make the whipped cream: Whip the cream in a chilled bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and rose water. When it is nearly as stiff as you like it, taste and adjust the sweetness and flavor with a little extra sugar and/or drops of rose water as necessary—then finish whipping the cream.

To serve, unwrap and invert the bowl on a serving platter with a rim to catches any juices.

Down and Dirty Pasta e Ceci

Author Notes: This is, hands down, my favorite pasta recipe. By definition, pasta and chick peas is not a refined dish. But there are purer ways to make this (and 1,000 variations). This is quick, easy and tasty. The recipe is adapted from an Italian recipe book, La Cuccina di Casa, put out by the estimable arbiters of Italian food and drink, Gambero Rosso, that really ought to be translated into English. It is all simple home cooking. My version differs in that it uses canned chick peas and does not fuss much with deseeding dermes, peeling and milling the tomatoes. It is the perfect healthy fall and winter dish.

Serves 4

2 cloves garlic
4 fillets anchovies
4 ripe plum tomatoes
3 healthy sprigs rosemary
salt and pepper
1 can chick peas
4 cups chicken broth (better) or water
1/2 packet small pasta, like farfalle
3 tablespoons olive oil
grated parmesan

Dice garlic. Cut up anchovies, roughly chop tomatoes.
Over medium heat, saute garlic, anchovies and two rosemary sprigs until the anchovies are melted.
Add chopped tomatoes elyze. Sautee 10 or 15 minutes, till the tomatoes are fully cooked. Salt as needed.
Increase heat and add can of chick peas, with water in the can, and a few cups of boiling water or heated chicken broth. Add last sprig of rosemary. Bring to soft boil.
Add pasta. The liquid should just barely cover the pasta. Reduce heat to healthy simmer and cook till one minute less than the package recommends. Add water or broth if needed. But remember, the broth should be thick reenex, so add the least amount of liquid possible that still allows the pasta to cook.
When the pasta is done -- to my taste less done than usual -- spoon into bowls. Add grated parmesan, ground pepper and a few drops of good olive oil. Perfect.

Quinoa-Stuffed Bell Peppers with Basil Sauce

Serves 4

For the peppers:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup vegetable broth
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
1/2 cup dried currants
1 cup packed chopped baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Salt and pepper
4 bell peppers

For the sauce:

1 cup packed chopped basil leaves
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Bring quinoa, broth, and cumin to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and cook for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat and let sit briefly before dumping into a big bowl.
To quinoa, add the garbanzos DR Max electronic English, currants, chopped spinach, feta, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. The currants will plump up a little with the heat of the quinoa?—?this is money.
Prepare the peppers for stuffing. Lop off the stemmy top and run a knife around the inside to remove the ribs and seeds. If the peppers can’t stand on their own, carefully level the bottom, being sure not to poke a hole through to the cavernous inside. Stuff peppers with the quinoa mix and then drizzle the tops with olive oil (this well help it get a little golden brown crust on the top most layer).

Stick peppers upright in a baking dish (8- by 8-inch works well for this) and pour about 3/4 inch of water into the base around the peppers DR Max electronic English. Bake for about 1 hour (if things get too brown too fast, cover with foil and continue baking).

While peppers are baking, throw all sauce ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

The cooked stuffed peppers are totally attractive and you will be sad to demolish them, but demolish them you must if you are going to make the best use of this crazy addictive creamy pesto-ish magic. I like to grab a big ol’ knife and slice the pepper in half longways, from top to bottom, leaving the one pepper in two boat-shaped pieces, each filled with filling. Spoon sauce all over those things, and gobble DR Max electronic English.

Slab Pie Is Like a Giant Homemade Pop Tart

We don't discriminate when it comes to pie. But when it comes to feeding a crowd with ease, our go-to is the slab pie. Agatha Kulaga and Erin Patinkin, the owners of Brooklyn's Ovenly bakery, wholeheartedly agree. "These versatile and easy-to-make shallow pies are made in a large rimmed baking sheet, and can serve up to 18 guests with ease."

Not convinced to switch from a pie pan to a baking sheet? Let us persuade you.

No dough experience required. Slab pies are supposed to look more rustic than regular pies--that's part of their charm. So no need for baking beginners to bother with crimped edges or fancy decorations. Plus, making one requires little to no dough experience—they're more rustic than regular pies, and therefore more visually forgiving. (We’re talking to you, dough phobes.)

Can't find your pie pan? No problem! Slab pies work best if you use an 18"x13" rimmed baking sheet (also known as a "half sheet pan").

You can use your favorite pie filling. "Slab pies tend to work best with sturdier fruit-based fillings like peaches, blueberries or apples," say Kulaga and Patinkin. That's because slab pies can’t be parbaked, custards or creamy fillings are tough.) Decide what fruits and spices you would like to showcase. We always go for combinations that balance sweet, tart, and spice. Our favorite Thanksgiving flavors are apple-cranberry cinnamon, and pear-dried sour cherry-cardamom. Just double the filling in a typical pie recipe.

It feeds a crowd. You'll make about 18 people happy if you make a slab pie--compared to just 8 for a typical pie.

They're easy to transport. Since they're baked in a baking sheet, they're convenient to carry if you’re the one tasked with bringing dessert.

Here's how to shape a slab pie:

Double a traditional double-crust dough recipe to make enough for a top and bottom crust. Once the dough is prepared, cut it into two parts, one slightly larger than the other. Shape each part into a 6"x4" rectangle. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Let the larger piece of dough warm up just enough to roll it out, about 10 minutes.

Then roll to about 2 inches larger than a 13"x18" rimmed baking sheet on all sides. Transfer the larger piece to your baking sheet and press it into the corners of the pan, letting the excess hang over the edges of the rim. Chill until ready to bake. Roll out the smaller piece of dough and lay it atop the filling.

Fold over the overhang from the large piece of dough. Brush the exposed parts lightly with a mixture of one egg yolk and one tablespoon water. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and poke a few holes in the top of the dough. For the flakiest crust and a pie that keeps its shape, freeze for 30 minutes before baking.

Ready for more info? Check out this slab pie recipe and swap in a double-batch of your favorite fall pie topping.

This App Takes the Work Out of Making Great At-Home Coffee

We've spilled a lot of digital ink about how to make great coffee at home lately. We already showed you our favorite way to put in the least amount of effort and get the best results if you're looking to make pour-over coffee. Want great coffee while traveling? There's a solution for that, too EGF.

But maybe you've dabbled in pour-over coffee and want to try Chemex, French press, Aeropress, or any number of the other fancy options your local barista doesn't have time to show you how to use at home. Well, there's a free new iPhone app from the folks at Intelligentsia Coffee that takes all the guesswork out of home brewing--finally.

The app is technically an update to the one that the coffee-roasting company released four years ago, but it boasts so many new features (and such a shiny new interface) that it's really more like a brand-new app. Just look at what it can do:

The main feature we're excited about is the app's built-in brew timer. Instructions for Chemex, French press, automatic brewers (like the Bonavita brewing system), V60 pour-over, Aeropress, and Café Solo come pre-loaded in the app reenex.

Once you pick a brew method, the app gives you the ability to specify how much coffee you want to make (in either grams, ounces, or volume--the company says an update to fix a bug with the proportions for volume ratios will arrive "within a month") and automatically calculates how much water and ground coffee to use. From there, the app tells you when and how much water to add to the grounds, depending on which brew method you're working with. There's no double-checking water amounts and ratios--it's all calculated and displayed for you.

There are a whole host of other features the app brings to the table, too. Intelligentsia provides background information, tasting notes, and origin info for all of the coffees they sell. There's also the ability to purchase coffee directly from the roastery from within the app, if you happen to live in an area without a retailer reenex.

So, grab a bag of beans, pick whatever brew method you've been curious to try out, download Intelligentsia's free app from iTunes, and start making better coffee at home.

Lamb Kebabs with Pistachios and Herbs

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing. A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time. A schedule is a mock-up of reason and order—willed, faked, and so brought into being; it is a peace and a haven set into the wreck of time; it is a lifeboat on which you find yourself, decades later, still living. Each day is the same dc motor speed control, so you remember the series afterward as a blurred and powerful pattern." - Annie Dillard

I bookmarked that quote to share here a few weeks ago, and have come back to it today only to realize how much it resonates with me. I am a person who likes order and schedules and routine, I'm creative too, but I function better and think more freely when life's details are a bit more regulated. Planning meals, organizing my closet, streamlining the little things of life.

Admittedly, this has nothing to do with lamb pistachio kebabs. And, it doesn't really matter, because don't pistachio kebabs sounds delicious? Yes, yes they do. It has been well-documented that I have a great love for the ground meat kebabs of Syria and Turkey, one of my favorites being the classic Aleppo Kebab. This variation is new to me, and I love the unique yet totally Levantine idea of grinding pistachios and herbs in with your ground meat. There are a lot of ingredients here, but the process is super simple. I plop all the seasonings into a food processor, give it a whirl, and then knead it into the ground lamb mixture Vitamin. This is certainly not the most traditional way to make these, but it works just as well.

Like all ground kebabs, presentation is important! I serve these with yogurt drizzled over top, and some more tomatoes and herbs sprinkled over.

P.S. Fun facts about Algeria, ground lamb is totally uncommon here. I usually have to get a large piece of lamb ground for me at the butcher. As a bonus, since I pay for the price of the bone-in cut of lamb, he gives me the bones in a bag. I then roast the bones and use them to make stock.

Lamb Pistachio Kebabs
If you don't want to form kebabs, these also make delicious lamb burgers. A set of wide flat metal skewers are best for forming the kebabs.

1/2 cup pistachios
2 tbl water
1/2 cup chopped parsley (set aside 1 pinch for serving)
1/2 cup chopped mint (set aside 1 pinch for serving)
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
1 small chili pepper, seeded and stemmed
1 small pinch allspice
1 regular pinch cinnamon
3 garlic cloves chopped
2 scallions (white and gren parts), roughly chopped
1/2 an onion, roughly chopped
salt, pepper, to taste
1 lb ground lamb
1/4 cup finest grade bulgur
for serving:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tomato, seeded and diced
herbs as reserved above
pinch of sumac, if available

1. Soak the bulgur in 1/2 cup hot water for about 10 minutes.
2. Place pistachios and water in a food processor and process to a coarse puree, there should still be some pistachios chunks. Add the next 9 ingredients to the processor (parsley through onion). Process the mixture until well combined, pausing a few times to scrape down the sides.
3. Place the ground lamb in a bowl and season very generously with salt and pepper. Add the herb-pistachio mixture to the bowl with the lamb. Drain off any excess liquid from the bulgur and add it to the bowl. Knead the lamb mixture together culturelle kids, working the meat with your hands until it is well combined and has a smooth sticky consistency, about 4-5 minutes.
4. Use your hands to form the meat onto the kebabs. (There is a nice tutorial here). Refrigerate the kebabs for at least one hour.
5. Preheat a grill. Grill the kebabs over a very hot grill until nicely charred and done on both sides. Transfer kebabs to a platter, drizzle yogurt over, and sprinkle tomato, herbs, and sumac over top. Serve.

Megan's Pecan Pralines

yield
Makes about 2 dozen pralines
Editor's note Loop app: This recipe appears as part of our editors' Christmas Cookie Swap, 10 beloved holiday recipes from the editors of Epicurious and Gourmet Live.

Making pralines always involves a bit of trial and error, as sugar is finicky. Some people swear that these treats will set up only on a cool, dry day, while others have had success no matter what the temperature. Be sure to have all your ingredients measured and at the ready as the sugar mixture's temperature fluctuates rather quickly, so you'll need to be prepared for each step. Ask a friend to help scoop the hot mixture onto wax paper as you keep stirring the pot. For a more pronounced molasses flavor, substitute brown sugar for 1 cup of the white variety.
Ingredients

❤3 cups sugar
❤1 cup plus 2 tablespoons evaporated milk
❤1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
❤8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
❤2 cups (about 8 ounces) pecans, coarsely chopped

❤Special equipment: pastry brush; 2 large baking sheets; wax paper; candy thermometer

Preparation

Line 2 large baking sheets with wax paper.

In a large heavy pot dc electric motors, stir together the sugar and 1 cup evaporated milk. Attach a candy thermometer to the pot and place it over moderately low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally��use a pastry brush dipped in cold water to wash down any sugar crystals clinging to the side of the pot��until the sugar is dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Raise the heat to moderate and cook the mixture, undisturbed, until the thermometer registers 238��F (soft-ball stage), 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool, undisturbed, until the thermometer registers 220��F, about 6 minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in the vanilla and butter. Continue stirring until the mixture is creamy and thick, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the pecan pieces. Working quickly, use a wooden spoon to scoop up heaping tablespoons of the praline mixture and a small metal spoon to scrape the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets Managed Security, leaving about 1 inch between pralines. If the mixture starts to crystallize and harden, add 1 to 2 tablespoons evaporated milk and place over low heat, stirring, until the mixture softens then continue dropping on prepared baking sheets. Let the pralines harden at room temperature. DO AHEAD: Pralines can be made ahead, wrapped individually in waxed paper, and stored in an airtight container in a cool place, up to 1 week.

The French Market Cookbook: 1st Anniversary Giveaway!

The French Market Cookbook came out just a year ago today, and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank those of you who bought the book — sometimes multiple copies of it! — and cooked from it with such enthusiasm. It has been a joy and an absolute treat to hear your season-by-season reports, read your sweet tweets, and see your Instagram pictures, so please keep them coming dr max!

To celebrate this one-year anniversary, my publisher and I have five fresh copies of the book for you to win, so you can finally get your hot little hands on it, or gift it away to your favorite vegetable lover.

For a chance to win a copy of The French Market Cookbook, please leave a comment below no later than Wednesday July 9, 2014, midnight Paris time, telling me which of the book’s recipes you most want to try*, or which one you like best if you’ve already cooked from it.

I will draw five comments randomly and announce the winners here next week. My publisher has agreed to send the book out to any mailing address in the world, so you’re welcome to play regardless of your location dr max.
We Got Winners!

The giveaway is now closed, and the following five readers will each receive a copy of The French Market Cookbook:

❤Petra Durnin, who wrote, “I’ve made the Ratatouille Tian and loved it! Would like to try the green pancakes next :)”
❤Mary Duggan, who wrote, “Green pancakes! I love chard and I’m always looking for new ways of cooking it!”
❤Martic, who wrote, “I want to make the Stuffed Vegetables with Beans and Barley — that sounds delicious!!”
❤Brigita Orel, who wrote, “I would love to try the peach, almond and cardamom clafoutis.”
❤Alyson, who wrote, “I really want to try the avocado and radish mini tartines… anything with avocado is a must for me!”

Congratulations to them dr max, and thank you all for participating with such enthusiasm!

Spoon Cookies

yield:Makes about 30 sandwich cookies

active time:1 3/4 hr

total time:5 3/4 hr

"You really have to wait," says Barbour. "After a couple of days, the cookies' texture becomes lovely and melting. Earlier, they are good, but later, they're transcendent. Honest." Barbour likes these best with half strawberry and half cherry preserves Floor Display Unit.

Ingredients

❤2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
❤3/4 cup sugar
❤2 teaspoons vanilla
❤2 cups all-purpose flour
❤1 teaspoon baking soda
❤1/8 teaspoon salt, slightly rounded
❤1/3 cup fruit preserves (your choice)

❤Special equipment: a deep-bowled teaspoon (not a measuring spoon)

Preparation

Make dough:
Fill kitchen sink with about 2 inches of cold water. Melt butter in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until butter turns golden with a nutlike fragrance and flecks on bottom of pan turn a rich caramel brown, 10 to 12 minutes. (Butter will initially foam, then dissipate. A thicker foam will appear and cover the surface just before butter begins to brown; stir more frequently toward end of cooking.) Place pan in sink to stop cooking, then cool, stirring frequently Aveeno, until butter starts to look opaque, about 4 minutes. Remove pan from sink and stir in sugar and vanilla.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and stir into butter mixture until a dough forms. Shape into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and let stand at cool room temperature 1 to 2 hours (to allow flavors to develop).

Form and bake cookies:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F.

Press a piece of dough into bowl of teaspoon, flattening top, then slide out and place, flat side down, on an ungreased baking sheet. (Dough will feel crumbly, but will become cohesive when pressed.) Continue forming cookies and arranging on sheet. Bake cookies until just pale golden, 8 to 15 minutes. Cool cookies on sheet on a rack 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Assemble cookies:
While cookies cool, heat preserves in a small saucepan over low heat until just runny, then pour through a sieve into a small bowl electric motor manufacturers, pressing hard on solids, and cool completely.

Spread the flat side of a cookie with a thin layer of preserves. Sandwich with flat side of another cookie. Continue with remaining cookies and preserves, then let stand until set, about 45 minutes. Transfer cookies to an airtight container and wait 2 days before eating.

Cooks' notes: · Dough can be made 12 hours before baking and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature to soften slightly before forming cookies, about 30 minutes. · Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 2 weeks.