summer

cornmeal topped blueberry cobbler

A few days ago I mentioned that my boss recently hosted a seafood boil for work. Best job ever.

Most people involved were in charge of bringing a dish or two to go along with all the amazing seafood we consumed that night. So much seafood.

I thought that a big skillet of buttermilk cornbread and my new favorite coleslaw recipe would be the perfect compliment to the rest of the menu.

Everyone knows my reputation as a baker, so on top of my coleslaw I was put in charge of bringing a dessert too. Fresh summer fruit was the name of the game so, with lemon bars and key lime pie already on the menu, I decided a seasonal fruit cobbler would be just the ticket.

Did you know that the name “Cobbler” comes from the look and texture of the topping after it’s baked? I just learned that. Once the drop biscuit topping is baked it’s said to resemble the rough and bumpy look of cobblestone streets.

Originally I had peach cobbler in mind, but the market was overflowing with perfect plump ripe blueberries, while the peaches were still a bit hard. So, change of plans.

Who doesn’t love fresh blueberries anyway? I’ll save the peaches for a pie. Or ice cream. Or jam. Or all of those things.

To add a bit of interest to the traditional buttermilk biscuit topping, I decided to try a cornmeal biscuit recipe. You still get a super soft and tender topping but with just a little extra added texture and flavor.

The filling gets super bubbly, jammy and wonderful once it goes into the oven. The blueberries burst and release their juices and the brown sugar, lemon & spice give them a great syrupy blueberry pie-like flavor. But instead of fussy pie crust, there are biscuits on top. Soft, tender, heavenly buttermilk biscuits with bits of jammy blueberry filling peaking out and bubbling up over the top.

I mean, I know you want to go make this right now. If you’re good at practicing restraint (I’m not) you could always wait until your next picnic or bbq. Oh wait. I feel like there’s one coming up, like really really soon…

Cornmeal Topped Blueberry Cobbler

Servings: 12 to 16-ish
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adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 tablespoons butter
4 pints (about 8 cups) blueberries, rinsed and dried
2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cornmeal biscuit topping
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fine stone-ground cornmeal
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a 9×13, or 4 quart baking dish. Toss blueberries with sugar, flour, lemon zest and juice, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and spread evenly in your prepared baking dish.

Wipe out bowl and use it to stir together flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into the dry mixture with a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingertips. Stir in buttermilk until a wet, loose dough comes together.

Plop spoonfuls of the biscuit dough over the filling; don’t worry about covering entire surface. Bake until the filling is bubbly and the topping is beginning to brown, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. If desired, top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

favorite creamy coleslaw

I have the best job in the world, y’all.

Not only do I get to sell kitchenware and talk about food all day, but I work with a group of people who love food just as much as I do. A few times a year my boss organizes work events and parties, and they usually revolve around food (and drinking), and everyone in the store gets involved.

Most recently, to celebrate the warm weather and sunshine, she invited us to her home for a seafood boil.

I wish you could see the email chain with never-ending menu planning notes, logistics and to-do lists. I seriously LOVE my job.

The spread included a huge cooler full of crawfish flown in from Louisiana and a giant bag of 300 littleneck clams, along with seafood stew, boiled corn, potato salad, vegetarian paella, homemade caesar salad, lemon bars, key lime pie, beer, wine, & vodka spiked lavender lemonade. My contribution was a giant skillet of cornbread, a blueberry cornmeal cobbler, and coleslaw. Amazing coleslaw. This coleslaw.

I know coleslaw is an afterthought for most people, but I really love it. Like, a lot. Especially when it’s done right. I’m the kind of guy that eats, or at least tastes, the coleslaw every time it comes on my plate. For years I’ve struggled to find a classic homemade coleslaw recipe that I really loved. This time I finally got it right. I swear this might be the only coleslaw I ever make for the rest of my days. Probably not though. I can’t leave well enough alone.

Anyway, I’ve tried a ton of different recipes and none of them ever seemed to live up to my hopes and expectations. I’ve adjusted the levels of mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, & seasoning. I’ve experimented with different types of cabbage, and different shred sizes. I tried using celery salt, onion salt, mustard powder, flavored vinegars, you name it, but nothing I tried ever tasted quite right.

This time I went back to the basics and started with a simple classic recipe. Plain old white cabbage and carrots with mayonnaise and vinegar, but with just a few little twists. I used apple cider vinegar rather than white vinegar because it has a bit more flavor and a nice subtle sweetness. I substituted celery seed and finely diced fresh celery instead of celery salt, and it made huge a difference, bringing an unexpected brightness and fresh summery flavor. I used some finely diced red onion for a subtle bite, and added a bit of dijon mustard for some depth and a tiny hint of spice. The sugar and salt are just enough to bring out all the bright fresh flavors and make everything pop without being overpowering.

This is actually a really simple recipe to put together, especially if you have a mandoline slicer. I shredded the cabbage as finely as I could and, using the medium-tooth blade attachment, diced the celery and red onion just as fine. When you first shred it, the cabbage seems like SO MUCH, but once you toss it in the dressing it loosens up and compresses down. I think it’s important to let the cabbage soak in the dressing for at least an hour or two before serving, and it manages to stay crunchy and fresh even made a day or two ahead.

Just a quick side note, it turns out that our dogs LOVE raw shredded cabbage. They’re so funny sometimes.

I know it’s just coleslaw, but I’m really proud of myself. The dressing is totally perfect too. Creamy, without being gloppy or overly mayonnaise-y. Tangy, not biting or vinegar-y. Subtly sweet, but not at all cloying. Juuuust right.

Look out summer. Here I come.

Favorite Creamy Coleslaw

Servings: 12-ish
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1 medium head of green cabbage, finely shredded
1 small to medium red onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
3 carrots, julienned or grated

Dressing:
3/4 cup good quality mayonnaise
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons sugar

Prepare all vegetables and toss together in a large bowl. This can be done with a sharp knife and/or a box grater; but I used a mandoline cutter with the cabbage, onion, & celery to get perfect thin shreds, and a julienne peeler to get long thin strips of carrot.
Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a medium bowl until well combined. Pour dressing over cabbage mix and toss toss toss. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Before serving toss again to incorporate any dressing at the bottom of the bowl.
If served right away the cabbage will be wonderfully crisp, but this can be made up to two days in advance without getting too soft or soggy.

lemony strawberry cupcakes with strawberry meringue buttercream

For whatever reason, I tend to cook, and bake, in phases.

There was a point, a few years ago, when I was making scads of cupcakes. Up until that point pies were my thing, but then one day, suddenly, I started making cupcakes and couldn’t stop. Every chance I got; birthdays, special occasions, holidays, parties, picnics, you name it; I was there with a box of cupcakes in hand.

Then, a year or two ago, I started perfecting my layer cake technique and my cupcake phase was over as suddenly as it began. I started pumping out picture perfect layer cakes, and my overgrown stash of cupcake liners and muffin pans got pushed to the back of the cupboards and forgotten. I’m not positive, but this might mean I’m getting back on the cupcake train.

When a good friend of ours announced the other day that she was having a birthday party at a bar in her neighborhood, I knew right away that it was time to dust off the muffin pans and bake some cupcakes.

A lot of people have become disillusioned with cupcakes because they were so ubiquitous at their peak, especially in New York. I totally get it. I do. The cupcake trend was out of control, and there were a lot of bad cupcakes out there.

But! The cupcake craze is over! Like totally over. We moved on. We have gourmet donuts! And Cronuts! And Cragels!
You’re officially allowed to like cupcakes again. You don’t even have to make any references to Sex and the City when you eat them or anything. I promise! Really.

And, the thing about cupcakes is that they’re extremely portable and easy to eat without plates and forks and knives and all the other things you need to serve and eat a layer cake. Cupcakes are a whole lot easier, and a whole lot more fun. They’re the perfect single serving of cake and icing, they’re handheld, and they’re totally adorable and festive.

Not only are these cupcakes fun and easy to eat, but they also happen to be completely and thoroughly delicious. Our friend requested something fruity and summery, so I went all out and flavored both the cake and the icing with strawberries and lemon. To really pack in the flavor I pulsed the strawberries in a blender with a little bit of sugar, and cooked the mixture on the stove to reduce and concentrate the ripe berry flavor. This extra step makes a huge difference to fill these cupcakes with bright fruit forward flavor without the use of any extracts or artificial flavorings.

These cupcakes are incredibly moist and full of summery flavor. They’re sweet but not too sweet, and the lemon juice and zest adds a bold brightness to the strawberry flavor. Since the cakes are sweet enough on their own, I chose to go for a light and airy meringue buttercream, and it was definitely the right decision. Traditional American buttercream would probably have been too heavy and sweet here. Meringue buttercream is fluffy and light and just barely sweet, like whipped cream but much more stable. Not only is the texture and flavor perfect, but the icing is perfectly pretty in pink, with little specks of fresh strawberry showing through. Because these were for a birthday I added some festive pink sanding sugar for extra sparkle and shine, but to be honest, I probably didn’t need to.

Obviously, they were a huge hit.

Lemony Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Meringue Buttercream

Servings: About 32 - 34 cupcakes
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Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes

Reduced Strawberry Puree:
2 lbs of ripe strawberries
1/4 cups sugar
pinch of salt

wash and hull strawberries and either chop very finely, or pulse in a food processor or blender. You want them finely chopped, not liquified. Mix together with sugar and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and reduce for about 20 or 30 minutes, until thick and jammy. Stir regularly and watch carefully, it’ll want to boil over. I had about 1 1/2 cups of puree when I was finished. If you have more, or less, divide between the cake batter and the icing at a 2:1 ratio.

For the Cupcakes:
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
zest and juice of 2 lemons
3 eggs
1 egg white
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup reduced strawberry puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and egg white, one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated & scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk, and beating until well combined. Add lemon juice and strawberry puree, and blend until just combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake until golden and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to pans to wire racks to cool for 15 minutes; turn out the cupcakes onto the rack and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored up to 1 day at room temperature in airtight containers before frosting.

Strawberry Lemonade Meringue Buttercream:
4 egg whites
1¼ cups granulated sugar
1½ cups unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, at room temperature
1/2 cup reduced strawberry puree
zest and juice of 1 lemon

Combine the egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly by hand until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips).
Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, mix until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl), about 10 minutes.
Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all the butter has been added, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and switch to the paddle attachment; continue beating on low speed until all air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 minutes. Add the strawberry puree, lemon zest and juice; and beat until combined. Stir the icing with a rubber spatula until smooth. Keep the buttercream at room temperature if using the same day, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat with paddle attachment on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.
Spread or pipe the buttercream onto each cupcake. I used an Ateco #846 tip and piped a large swirl, then sprinkled on a bit of pink “raspberry rose” colored sanding sugar. They’re best eaten the day they’re made, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or refrigerated for up to 3 days.

summery steak salad with chili lime dressing

OMG it’s actually summer now!

It’s already felt like summer for weeks, but according to the dates on the calendar, it’s official now. Summer, with it’s long days and sunshine, picnics and parties, and farm stands and markets filled with fresh produce. Bright, vibrant, sweet, crunchy, juicy, wonderful, delicious produce.

I know it’s not really corn season just yet here in New York, but real fresh sweet corn is starting to show up in the grocery store and that’s good enough for me. I seriously LOVE the first sweet corn of the season. It’s just so much sweeter and crunchier than the frozen bagged corn I’ve been eating all winter. I know the local stuff will be even fresher, sweeter, and more delicious, but it’s not time yet and I need my fix.

I’m not ashamed to admit that after slicing off the kernels, I was standing alone in the kitchen nibbling away at the ears to get at those last juicy little golden bits.

When corn is fresh and ripe, it’s sweet and crunchy enough to go straight into the salad raw, right off the ear. For an extra layer of flavor though, I tossed the corn into a screaming hot cast iron pan for a couple minutes to roast the kernels just a bit.

Along with the corn, I added crisp sweet slices of red bell pepper, romaine lettuce for body and crunch, red onion for bite, and big chunks of ripe avocados for their soft creamy texture. Then the cherry on top of it all was thinly sliced tender juicy steak.

I think London Broil is perfect for this salad. It’s not too fatty, with nice even marbling, and free of any gristle or nastiness. Flank steak would work really well too. Either way, it’s best if you slice it super thin with a very sharp knife. Russell likes his more cooked than I do, so I sliced the steak in half and put his on a few minutes before mine. If everyone likes it the same way though, there’s no need. Generously season your steak, get your pan screaming hot, and let it go for a few minutes on either side. It really just takes a few minutes. You can cook it as much as you like, but it’ll be more tender, and better for a salad, at about medium rare or medium.

Quick side note, don’t attempt searing your steak on a non-stick pan. The high heat will ruin the surface. It’s best to use a cast iron or stainless steel skillet, but if you don’t have one you can put your steak under the broiler or on the grill instead.

To pair with the sweet crisp veggies in the salad, I wanted a bright acidic dressing with a bit of spice. I chose to go for little more than a couple freshly squeezed limes with their zest, some good extra virgin olive oil, a touch of honey, and a bit of cayenne pepper and chili powder for spice. The dressing is really quick to throw together, and it really is the perfect compliment to all the other elements of this salad. Tangy, crisp, sweet, and acidic, with just a hint of heat.

Summery Steak Salad with Chili Lime Dressing

Servings: 4-ish
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Dressing:
zest and juice of 2 limes
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (if desired)

Combine all ingredients in a dressing bottle or measuring cup and whisk or shake vigorously.

Salad:
1 lb london broil
1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if desired)
1 large head romaine lettuce
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 ears sweet corn
1/2 medium red onion, sliced into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 avocado, cut into large bite-sized chunks

Season steak on both sides with salt, pepper, chili powder, and cayenne, and set aside to rest. Shuck the corn and slice the kernels off the ear using a sharp knife. I hold the ear straight up and down with the butt end on a board, and shave down with my knife. Add 1/2 the tablespoon of olive oil to a preheated skillet and roast kernels over high heat for about 4 or 5 minutes, stirring infrequently, until they just begin to brown. Set aside, wipe out the skillet, and add remaining olive oil. Sear your steak for 3-6 minutes on either side, flipping only once. Depending on the thickness of the steak, 3 minutes per side should get you to about medium rare, and 6 should get you closer to medium well. Remove steak to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 5 minutes while you prepare the rest of the salad. Chop, wash, and dry romaine and add to a large bowl with roasted corn, red onion, bell pepper, and avocado. Top with dressing and toss until well combined. Plate your tossed salad and top with steak sliced into super thin strips.