One thing I really miss about living in Cote D’Ivoire is the overabundance of great Lebanese food. One of my personal favorites was Zaatar Manaeesh, a pita-like flat bread topped with Zaatar (a thyme-based middle eastern spice mix). Manaeesh is a popular breakfast food in Lebanon where it’s eaten with Labne, a thick strained yogurt. For a while now, I’ve had a full jar of Zaatar that my friend brought me from Israel and I never got the chance to use it. So, when an Italian friend of mine asked me what he should do with Zaatar, the first thing that came to my mind was Manaeesh, followed by fond memories of my time in Abidjan. I looked for a recipe on the internet, but nothing was really convincing. Therefore, I decided to improvise and do my own thing. I figured flat bread… hmm why not Focaccia?  And BAM! I whipped up this Zaatar Focaccia. If you don’t have any Zaatar, you can easily substitute your favorite dry herbs.

ZAATAR FOCACCIA (adapted from epicurious)
4 cups bread flour + additional for kneading (all-purpose flour works too)
1 packet of active dry yeast
1.5 cups lukewarm water
1 tsp sugar
1/2.tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
3 heaping tbsp Zaatar

Stir together the water, sugar and yeast in a mixing bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy. Add the oil and the salt. Then, add the flour gradually while mixing until dough forms. Depending on the moisture in the air, you may need to add more or less flour. Knead the dough until soft and smooth.

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and turn the dough to coat with the oil. Let rise, covered at warm room temperature, until doubled.

Press dough evenly into a generously oiled baking pan. Let dough rise in the pan, covered with a kitchen towel, until doubled.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Stir together the Zaatar and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Make shallow indentations all over dough with your fingertips, then brush with the Zaatar mixture.

Sprinkle with salt and bake in middle of oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a side of Labne.

Enjoy!

I’m not typically a fan of creamy sauces — I find fettuccine alfredo way too rich. But in thinking up a way to use the lovely corn I got from the Grand Army Plaza farmer’s market on Saturday, I thought a creamy basil sauce with corn sounded nice. And it was! The sauce was not overly thick, and the main texture takeaway was the crispy, sweet corn. The best part about this dish is that besides the prep of chopping, the actual cooking time is just about 10 minutes, so no slaving over a hot stove in summer. I had mine over a bed of arugula dressed with just a little lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Tangy!

I also want to point out that this is a meal packed with summer flavor, and a great vegetarian main dish. You could always add meat to this, but really, when the flavors are so pure and fresh, why would you?

Linguine with Basil Cream Sauce and Corn

Serves 4

1 lb. linguine
1/2 small shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 c. basil, chopped
2 ears of corn, kernels removed from cobs
zest of one lemon
1 T. butter
2/3 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. dry white wine
1/4 c. grated parmigiano reggiano
salt & pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water, heavily salted, to boil.

Meanwhile, add the butter to a saute pan or medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the cream and wine and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.

Add the pasta to the water and cook until al dente. Drain.

Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes or until it has reduced and thickened somewhat. Add the corn and simmer for an additional 3 minutes, stirring. Remove the sauce from the heat and add the cheese and basil, stirring to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the pasta back to the pot you cooked it in and then pour the sauce over top, tossing to coat evenly. Serve immediately. The corn will fall to the bottom a bit, so be sure to scoop some of it up on top of the pasta!

While living in Italy several years ago, I piled my cupboard high with authentic Tuscan cookbooks. My favorite recipe to emerge from countless pages of pastas and risottos is Penne Strascicate, a Bolognese-like sauce filled with diced vegetables, fresh tomatoes, red wine, and the best-tasting olive oil you can find. This recipe is affordable and makes enough to reheat for lunch the next day.

Ingredients
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley
2/3 lbs of ground beef
1/2 cup of a robust red wine
1 lb of fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chicken or beef broth
1 lb of Penne pasta
3/4 cup of freshly shaved Parmigiano Reggiano
6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery and parsley and stir for 4-5 minutes. Toss in the meat and stir until it begins to brown. Add the wine and let it reduce, stirring occasionally to prevent the meat from sticking together. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and stir for 4-5 minutes. Pour in the broth and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally

Cook the pasta in a pot of salted water until al dente and then, incorporate it to the sauce. Mix everything together and cook for 5 additional minutes. Add the Parmigiano Reggiano and serve immediately.

Pairs well with a young, dry red wine.

Yesterday was a sunny winter day in New York. On a day like this, there is nothing I enjoy more than flirting with the taste of summer. I was aiming for something sweet, but also quick and effortless like my Pineapple Tiramisu – deliciously decadent and executed in no time. Why wait until June when I can take a bite of the summer now?

I had this pineapple tiramisu for the first time at a potluck dinner in Paris last summer. It was love at first bite. I asked my friend for the recipe, but since she has yet to send it to me, this is my attempt at a replica. Adapted from a basic tiramisu recipe.

Ingredients

17 ounces of mascarpone cheese at room temperature ($3.99 at EV Cheese)
4 Large fresh egg
1/3 Cup of brown sugar
1/2 Cup of dark rum
1 Can of diced pineapple in pineapple juice (not syrup)
~24 Savoiardi a.k.a Italian ladyfingers ($3.45 at EV Cheese)
1 Tablespoon of pure vanilla extract (optional)

I first start by separating the egg yolks from the whites. Using an electric whisk, I whisk the egg yolks and the brown sugar on high speed until thick, pale and frothy.

I then lower the speed and add 1/3 of the rum, a tablespoon of vanilla. I mix it a little, add the mascarpone and continue whisking until the cream is smooth and homogenous. You’re probably thinking: “Wait! The eggs are raw?” Yes they are! That’s why you should always use fresh Grade A eggs. If it makes you feel better, adding rum to the raw eggs makes them safer by inhibiting the growth of bacteria. Once the cream is ready, I drain the pineapple and mix the juice with the remaining rum in a bowl wide enough to dip the ladyfingers.

At this point, the hard work is done and the fun part is ready to begin. When I’m having a dinner party and feeling creative, I make tiramisu verrines where I artistically layer the dessert in small glasses. Otherwise, I just use a spring form pan lined with wax paper.  If you’re a novice cook doing this for the first time, you might want to use a pyrex casserole dish.  It’s less sexy, but a lot easier.

Ok so… Now it’s time to assemble. Very easy! I quickly dip each side of the ladyfingers in the rum/pineapple juice and line the bottom of the pan with one layer of ladyfingers.

I pour half of the mascarpone cream over the ladyfingers. Then, I cover the cream with the diced pineapple and more ladyfingers dipped in the rum/pineapple juice. I finish with the remaining mascarpone cream and smooth the top. The tiramisu is done! I cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill the tiramisu in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

I wasn’t really sure what to top the cake with the first time I made it, but one day it dawned on me that coconut and pineapple were a match made in heaven. So now, I top my pineapple tiramisu with toasted coconut flakes. They add crunch and texture. YUMMY!!