Cauliflower Soup

I first tasted cauliflower soup as a child. I admit -- I hated it. It was essentially mashed cauliflower with a little bit of cream and mayonnaise. Last year, I dined at a restaurant in Baltimore, Maryland called Charleston (http://www.charlestonrestaurant.com) and had an entirely new experience. I had the honor of chatting with Chef Cindy Wolf after dinner, who declined to share the recipe, but I estimated the following based on the flavors --

Cauliflower Soup
Serves 6-8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

• 2 heads cauliflower, chopped
• 6 cups chicken stock (vegetable stock will work, to make vegetarian)
• 1 large leek, cleaned and small diced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Bring the stock to a simmer in a large stock pot. Add the cauliflower and simmer until completely softened. This should take 15-20 minutes on medium. Add the leek and cook for another 5 or 10 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender or food processor until completely smooth. Return to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and finish with butter and cream. Bring to a low simmer and serve immediately.

I usually drizzle over a little leek oil, which is just olive oil infused with leek, strained, and cooled and homemade garlic rubbed croutons. Pretty delicious! If you have any questions, ask!

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are my favorite side dish for any beef or poultry dish. I know they're carb-laden, fat-laden, and as cliche as my affinity for macaroni and cheese, but that's just the way it is. My Mom, in my opinion, made the best mashed potatoes in the world. They could not have been simpler and they came out perfect every time -- a buttery, whipped cloud of potato goodness.

I have branched out from my Mom's basic recipe to create some variations that my guests have enjoyed. I'll share the basic recipe with you here and some alterations that can make the humble potato really special. All you ever wanted to know, after the jump!

Pot Roast

I know, I know. I just posted a short ribs recipe and my poor blog is way too heavy with the meat selections. But I am making pot roast tomorrow night for some friends and I think it's worth sharing the recipe. I have tried a number of recipes, tested over and over again, and am confident that this is a fool-proof and delicious pot roast. I know it's comfort food, but I am pretty sure it won't hurt for everyone to have an easy pot roast recipe in their repertoire. This recipe calls for chuck roast, but it works great with brisket, or even bottom round roast. 

Why not make this recipe a day or two ahead of time? It's incredibly delicious the next day, or even after. Make the recipe in its entirety, allow to cool for 2 hours on the counter, and refrigerate for up to 4 days. The whole recipe after the jump!

Corn Salad

This salad is a bright, flavorful side dish to any light meal. I made it last night for a dinner that included steamed crabs and new potatoes. It was really well-received and is often requested at home.

Corn Salad
Serves 4-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: None

•  2 cans, 6 cobs, or 1 1/2 lbs frozen corn kernels, thawed
• Off season I use the canned whole corn kernels that I have drained, during the summer I use corn that I have blanched and then cut off the cob. 
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup white wine vinaigrette
• salt and pepper to taste

Toss all the ingredients together in a nice bowl, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Serve cold.

Some Salad Dressings

Despite the winter cold, I still like to serve a fresh, crisp salad with most meals. I think it's a wonderful start or end to some of the heavy comfort food on which I often rely during the chilly months. While lettuces and raw vegetables are delicious, the star of my salads is almost always a bright dressing to bring out the flavors of the food.

My go-to dressing is a basic white wine vinaigrette. Here's what I do.

White Wine Viniagrette

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• I like champagne vinegar for this, but anything, even red wine vinegar will do. Don't use white vinegar. It's only good as a cleaning solvent, not food.
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp dried herbes de provence
• salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a clean, empty glass jar, such as one used for pickles or olives. Shake the ingredients just like a bottled salad dressing until emulsified. Serve.

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Another simple salad dressing is just a few tablespoons of lemon juice squeezed over plain romaine leaves with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.


If you want to get especially creative, use the recipe above for vinaigrette and add other elements. Replace the herbes de provence with some red pepper flakes, or the white wine vinegar with balsamic. The same technique applies.


I personally do not enjoy mayonnaise-based dressings, but if you want a really creamy dressing such as ranch or Caesar, combine all the ingredients but the oil in the bowl of a food processor and add a raw egg yolk. Drizzle in the oil while the machine is on to create an aioli, or mayonnaise dressing for a richer mouth feel. 


If you double the vinaigrette recipe, you have a great marinade for chicken or pork. If you double just the vinegar or lemon juice, you can even create a pretty tasty ceviche for a firm-fleshed fish or scallops. The possibilities are limited by your imagination.

Some Thoughts on Entertaining

I have never quite developed a knack for formal entertaining. No matter how elegantly I attempt to set the table, inscribe the place cards, or garnish the dishes, there remains an inherent casual-ness to the atmosphere. It could be my sense of humor, it could be that we live in a basement, or it could be that the stuffiness of formal dining is at odds with the values with which I was raised. Specifically, I want all my guests to feel at ease in my home. 

Besides the inescapable "keep it casual" rule, there are three important elements of my approach to entertaining. First and foremost, I want the food to be delicious. No matter how elegant the table or fancy the dishes, if you're serving McNuggets, your party is a bust. Take the time and effort to create something special. If you don't have time for a dinner party, don't throw one. Use make-ahead techniques, practice on weekends, and know what you're doing before you jump off the deep end. You'll stress yourself out, have a bad time, and ultimately disappoint your guests.

Second, select your group carefully. Invite over close friends who bring something to the party. Too many people can create a chaotic conversation. Putting the wrong two people at the same table could create a decidedly awkward evening. Enjoy your friends and spend time with them. They'll have a better time, and so will you.

My final guiding principle is to let the evening take on a life of its own. If you try to control too much, you'll end up frustrated. Allow your guests to stay as long as they like. If someone's late, while tardiness is quite rude, don't let it ruin your fun. Go with the flow. You have control over flavors and food, who's been invited, and the atmosphere you've created. Let everyone build on that foundation a wonderful affair that you'll all remember. 

In short -- 1) Make the food good, know what you're doing before you jump off the deep end. 2) Choose a small group of good people. You're not running a restaurant, quality over quantity. 3) Go with the flow, you will be glad you did.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Broccoli and Chicken

I was discussing easy week-night recipes with a friend at brunch this morning and I was reminded of a fond pasta dish my mother used to make for me when I was younger. It has lots of variations, but I'll list my favorite here. 

• 1 lb. fresh or dried fettuccine pasta
• 2 tbs. butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 2 cups heavy cream, or half and half
• 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Not to be a food snob, but this will simply not work if you use the Kraft brand from the green can. It has too much anti-caking agent in it to melt properly. Please, please use a basic grated parmesan from the cooler case in the dairy section if you are not in the mood to whir some reggiano or grana padano in the food processor.
• 2 six or eight ounce chicken breasts, bone in, skin on, roasted. See recipe below.
• Alternatively, you can shred the breasts and thighs of a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. This is perfectly acceptable and delicious.
• 4 cups (roughly 1 head) broccoli florets
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
  
• salt and pepper to taste

First, boil the pasta according to package instructions. For the last minute of cooking, add the broccoli florets. Drain carefully in a colander and set aside.


For the sauce, melt the butter in the bottom of a saucepan. Warm the cream or half and half on the stove, but do not boil. Add the garlic to the butter and allow to soften for 30 seconds or so. Add the flour. Whisk until combined, allow to cook about one minute. Whisk in the hot cream. Allow to come to a simmer, then whisk in the cheese. Stir until smooth. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste.


Shred the chicken meat into large chunks or strips. Fold into the alfredo sauce. Toss the hot sauce with the pasta and broccoli. Serve hot in a large pasta bowl with lots of parmesan cheese on the side and a bright white wine.


Roasted Chicken Breasts

• 2, or as many as you'll need, skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and drizzle with olive oil. Season liberally and roast for 35-45 minutes until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees in the middle of the breast. Cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving or cutting up for the recipe above.

Braised Short Ribs of Beef

Our neighbors invited us up to their apartment for a dinner party during a recent blizzard here in Washington, DC. They had prepared braised short ribs according to a recipe by one of my favorite cookbook authors, Ina Garten. They were excellent. My friends noted, and I agreed, that her recipe yielded way to much liquid, however, for the sauce, so I set out to solve that problem and throw in a few twists of my own. I referred to over a dozen recipes, none of which seemed quite practical. I wanted something that reflected my own food point of view and was accessible to folks who may want to make the recipe but don't necessarily share my passion for the process. I developed a recipe after a few try's that I think you'll enjoy. I give full credit to Peter and Suzanne for the inspiration and Ina Garten for pointing me in the right direction in pulling this recipe together. Full recipe after the jump.

Returning from the Holidays

My apologies for the lapse in communication, my friends. I have been celebrating the holidays and, surprisingly, not been cooking quite as much. Christmas in Rehoboth was a nice break from Washington. I have one or two recipes I have to share, however, and a much belated story about a trip to the flagship Williams-Sonoma in San Francisco, California. Working on those now, so come back soon!