The East Coast received another snow storm warning today. I feel bad for DC. Just when they thought the snowpocalyspe was over, another snow storm is preparing to hit the town again. We, New Yorkers expected a few inches last weekend as well, but we got nada. I don’t really know what’s going to happen this time. But if for some reason you find yourself snowed in with only two eggs in the refrigerator and a family of four to cook breakfast for, here’s a way to make it happen.

CREPES CITRON MIEL
125 grams flour
2 eggs
20 grams sugar
1 cup milk
1 pinch salt
1 tbps melted butter
1 lemon juiced
1/4 cup honey

Makes approximately 10 large crepes.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl and make a well.

Crack the eggs into the well and whisk while adding half of the milk in small amounts until you get a smooth batter.

Add the remaining milk and let the batter rest for an hour.

Meanwhile, mix the honey and the lemon together.

When ready to make the crepes, add the melted butter to the batter.

Heat a nonstick pan. Add butter to coat.

Ladle the batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly.

Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove and place the crepe best side down on a plate.

Fold the crepe in half and in half again.  Then, drizzle with the lemon honey mixture.

Repeat the process for each crepe.

Enjoy hot.

Looks like the Fierce and Sweet bake-off win was the ego booster I needed to morph into a baking enthusiast. Up until then, I used to think that baking was an activity better left in the hands of the likes of Pierre Herme, Gaston Lenotre and Francois Payard. But after a series of successful experiments, I can say that I now fancy baking cakes. So for my friend’s birthday, I decided to surprise her with cupcakes. Since she likes simple flavors, I opted for vanilla cupcakes. This recipe has become my go-to recipe for cupcakes. Every now and then, I ditch the vanilla extract for amaretto, but the proportions remain the same.

VANILLA CUPCAKES
12 cupcakes liners
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line the cupcake tins with cupcake liners.

Cream the butter until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl a couple of times

Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Allow each each to be fully incorporated before adding the next one. Mix in the vanilla.

Sift the remaining dry ingredients together and add to the batter in 3 parts, alternating with the milk. Start and finish with the dry ingredients, but do not overmix.

Scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.

Evenly spoon the batter into the cupcake liners.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on rack.

Meanwhile, make the vanilla butter cream.

VANILLA BUTTER FROSTING
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
4 to 4.5 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat the butter on high speed until creamy. Add 1 cup of the sugar gradually and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add one more 1 cup of sugar and half of the milk and beat until smooth and creamy.

Add one more 1 cup of sugar and the remaining milk and continue to beat.

Add the remaining cup of sugar and vanilla and beat on high speed until light and creamy, about 5 minutes.

Assess the texture and add a little more sugar if the texture is too light.

Spread a generous amount of cupcakes onto each cupcakes.

Sprinkle with your favorite toppings. I’m using pop rocks for an explosive final touch.

Enjoy!

Every so often, I forget that I have grape tomatoes in the refrigerator and then when I remember and check them out, they no longer look cute enough for a salad. When that happens, I roast them with garlic and rosemary.  This has turned out to be a great way to salvage any tomatoes before their skin starts to shrivel. Hot, I find these roasted tomatoes to be a nice complement to grilled fish or chicken, but I also eat them at room temperature with bread. Sometimes, I store leftovers in a small container and cover with olive oil. This holds up well in the fridge for a week.

ROASTED GRAPE TOMATOES
1 container (1 lb) grape tomatoes
3 garlic cloves smashed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place the tomatoes in a glass baking dish.

Add the garlic, olive oil, salt, sugar, rosemary and fresh cracked pepper.

Toss to coat evenly.

Roast  for approximately 10 minutes until tomatoes start to burst.

Add a basil chifonnade if you wish.

Enjoy hot or at room temperature.

Freemans is one of my favorite places to grab brunch in New York city. It almost feels like a hidden gem located at the end of a tiny alley. The food is socially conscious sans the pretentiousness and the vibe is very nice… um despite the animal heads hanging on the wall. But maybe you have an affinity for taxidermy. Anyway, what brings me to Freemans for brunch over and over is their skillet egg dish, which I absolutely love. Eggs decadently baked on a bed of spinach with heavy cream, bacon and gruyere, and served with sourdough toast. It’s such a simple yet delicious dish that I felt I should share it with you. Here’s my vegetarian adaptation of the dish, which offers a nice alternative to the oh so predictable omelet for a brunch party.

BAKED EGGS with SPINACH and CHEESE
3 eggs
1 cup frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed of all water)
1 shallot finely diced
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 grated cheese like Emmental, Gruyere or Jarlsberg
1 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 450°F.

In a skillet, saute the shallot and garlic in butter for 2 to 3 minutes until softened.

Stir in the spinach, then add the cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg and simmer.

Remove skillet from heat and make 3 large indentations in spinach. Carefully break an egg into each indentation without break the yolk.

Sprinkle with cheese and bake, uncovered, until egg whites are set but yolks are still runny, 8-9 minutes.

Serve hot with buttered toast.

Thank you all for the get-well wishes. My engine is almost fully functional again. And if you have not gotten your flu shot yet, please do so asap. On a tastier note, I have something interesting for you to try this weekend. An appetizer that adds a delicious Asian twist to a Mexican dish — Shrimp and tofu tostadas. Wonton wrappers replace tortillas to create a crispy bed for grilled shrimps and tofu slices that have bathed in a ginger, soy, honey and sesame oil marinade.

SHRIMP AND TOFU TOSTADAS
15 large shrimps peeled and deveined (tail-on)
1 block firm tofu, drained and cut crosswise into 8 slices
15 round wonton wrappers
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp honey
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 tsp crushed garlic
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Vegetable oil
salt and pepper

Cut each tofu slice in half, then place on several layers of paper towels. Cover with more paper towels. Let stand 10-15 minutes, pressing down occasionally to remove the excess water.

Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, honey, vinegar and 3 tbsp of vegetable oil to make a marinade.

Place tofu into a baking dish in a single layer. Pour half of the marinade over tofu, turning to coat each slice.Cover and marinate in refrigerator 15 minutes, turning occasionally.

Marinate the shrimps in the other half of the marinade.

In a frying pan, heat up some vegetable oil to 370 degrees. Fry the wonton wrappers in batches until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels and reserve.

Heat a lightly oiled grill pan. Grill 5 slices of tofu and 5 shrimps at a time, 2 minutes on each side.

To assemble, place a slice of grilled tofu on a fried wonton wrapper, top with a grilled shrimp and drizzle with cilantro oil.

Decorate with chives and serve hot or at room temperature.

Today’s post is going to be very short. I fell victim to the mischievous swine flu last week and my engine is not 100% restored. They say booze makes everything better, so here’s a recipe for a cocktail I wish I could be enjoying on a warm tropical beach.

PINAPASSION COCKTAIL
8 mint leaves
3 pineapple chunks
2 ounces white rum
2 ounces passion fruit juice
1 ounce Orangina
Crushed ice

In a glass, muddle the mint and pineapple with a pestle. Add the ice, rum, passion fruit juice and stir well. Top with the Orangina and serve.

Enjoy responsibly

There’s nothing like a big, fat and juicy steak to crank up the temperature during these cold winter days. You may argue that steak is not a thrifty food item, but there’s nothing wrong with splurging a little from time to time. That said, there are plenty of economical ways to enjoy a steak dinner. Hanger, skirt and flank steaks are reasonably priced cuts of meat that are highly prized for their flavor. Today, I’m making a bone-in rib eye, which is clearly not the cheapest, but it is delectably juicy, tender and flavorsome. I like to buy mine bone-in because the bone packs some extra flavor, which intensifies the deliciousness. You can buy whichever steak tickles your fancy as long as you buy quality meat. And by that, I mean no prepackaged grocery store meat. Locate the nearest butcher and get fresh meat that has been handled with the proper amount of TLC. Using the best products will yield the best results. Good meat only needs salt and pepper.

PAN SEARED RIB EYE
1 bone-in rib eye steak
1 tbsp oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt

The key to making the perfect steak is starting with a piece of meat that has been brought to room temperature. No cold meat please.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Coat the steak lightly with oil and season both sides with salt and black pepper to taste.

Heat up an empty pan (preferably cast iron) to the smoking point.

Place steak in the middle of the pan and cook for 45 seconds without moving it. Turn the steak and cook for 45 additional seconds.

Continue cooking in the oven for 1-2 minutes. Flip the steak and cook for 1-2 additional minutes. This will get you a medium rare steak. Add an additional minute on each side for medium.

Remove the steak from the pan and rest for 2 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute.

Slice and serve with a side of green pea puree. There you have it: an easy winter steak dinner.

I’m a big fan of oxtail. But every time I mention that I eat oxtail, I seem to get looks of surprise from my friends. If you’ve never had oxtail, you should give it a try before making a judgment. Oxtail is a bony and gelatinous, but very flavorful cut of meat that is best braised or stewed for hours. And though it is no longer as cheap as it used to be years ago, you can get some pretty good deals at Asian and Caribbean grocers.  The recipe I’m sharing is a great way to warm up during the cold winter days. It requires very few ingredients and the oxtail cooks in its own juice, resulting in a very flavorful stew.

BRAISED OXTAIL
1.5 – 2 lbs oxtail (cleaned and trimmed of excess fat)
1 shallot finely diced
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
Thyme
Salt and pepper

In a saucepan, heat up the olive oil and add the sugar. When the sugar starts browning, add the the oxtail, sear and brown on all sides.

Add the minced shallots, garlic and saute for a minute. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and reduce until thick.

Add salt, pepper, a teaspoon of thyme and just enough water to cover the oxtail.

Bring the liquid to a boil, then simmer for 2.5 hours until the meat is fork tender. Halfway through the cooking time, turn each piece of oxtail over.

Remove the oxtail from the pan, skim the fat off the cooking liquid and reduce. Adjust for salt and pepper, then return the oxtail to the pan.

Serve hot with rice or mashed potatoes.

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!

The holiday season is here and wherever you turn, someone is having a party. Sadly, I’m not having a holiday party this year, for various (good) reasons.  But if I were, there is one appetizer that would have  a guaranteed spot on my table: shrimp in a blanket. I used to order these babies from a Thai restaurant in my neighborhood until it dawned on me one day that making my own would save me a lot of dough.

I’m usually wary of frying because it’s a messy activity, but these appetizers are well worth the effort.

SHRIMP IN A BLANKET
1 pack of frozen spring roll wrappers
20 shrimps cleaned and deveined (tail on)
1 garlic clove minced
1 tsp finely chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
Warm water
Vegetable oil for frying

Toss the shrimps with the garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and marinate for 30 mins.

Meanwhile thaw the spring roll wrapper in the package.

Cut the spring roll wrappers in half, place them on a plate and cover with a damp towel.

Dab the edges of the spring roll wrapper with a little water, then wrap each shrimp, leaving the tail out. Use your fingers to slightly press and twist the wrapper where it meets the tail of the shrimp.

In a frying pan, heat up the oil to 365°F. Fry the shrimps in batches of 5 or 6, keeping them apart to prevent sticking, until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.

Serve with sweet chili sauce.