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appetizer

Sublime Sunday: Gravlax

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Sunday mornings are for ease and quiet and maybe some classical music and perhaps the NY Times scattered about. If there is going to be any entertaining it needs to be low maintenance.
Fish for breakfast, according to my dear friend Anthony, is SUCH a NY thing to do. Seriously, raw fish during the tender lights of day? and not anything mild or boring, but smoked or cured, such as this gravlax that I laced with garlic chives and meyer lemon zest.
Now, Let me say that I’ve been chided by a Swiss fellow for not recanting the true history of raclette in one of my recent posts (truth be told, I never recanted ANY history) and I don’t propose to the be the master of the “must know” about gravlax- BUT I can tell you this…
It’s one of the easiest things to make and delightfully enjoyable- especially for those  watching waistlines.
I purchased a beautiful piece of wild salmon that I hand picked from the fish monger. Once home I gave it a good rinse and patted it dry. Then I took a generous amount of flaked salt, minced some garlic chives and grated the zest from a meyer lemon and then, after combining all three, covered the flesh of the fish very generously. I put the flesh side down onto a large plate with a little well in it, wrapped it tight in plastic then placed another opposing plate on top.
Into the fridge it went and I took a bottle of wine and my ever constant bottle of bubbly, and lay them on top to keep plate pressed to fish. Then just left it.
A few days later I removed my little bundle, drained the liquid that had been pulled out of the fish and it was ready to slice and serve.
The zest and garlic chive gives the Salmon a lovely mellow flavor. It’s nice enough to eat just so on some crackers or chewy bread. Typically I serve my gravlax with some honey mustard- just take 3:1 parts of mustard and honey and stir together. You can adjust this formula to your taste. More mustard more heat.
And that, my dears, is it. A beautiful and delicious dish that requires a whole lot of nothing to do. The most difficult thing to do is slice it all.  Sharpen your knife with the thinnest blade as best you can and channel your inner Zabar Salmon Slicer and have at it.
The thin folds of the salmon make little bright jewels on the plate. Keep this cold until ready to serve and store any left over as soon as possible after serving.
Enjoy my doves!

Ginger Poached Chicken Broth Soup

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As the holidays season descends upon us and the days get short and compact, it’s a lovely thing to come home to a warm brothy soup that only takes a short while to assemble and prepare.
This soup is a standby for me and it lends itself to creativity depending on what’s on hand in the cupboard or vegetable drawer. You need just a few basics, such as garlic, ginger, chicken broth and chicken, but from there on- you can “McGuyver” this dish anyway you would like. Leftover noodles or rice can find their way into the pot, or left over veg and the odd ends of this and that- mushrooms, carrots, cauliflower, spinach, etc.
I’ve set the stage for the classic here- but I’ll leave the rest to your interpretation. The primary thing is to make a warm flavorful broth and keep it healthy and light. The perfect revival to a day of dashing.
 
Ginger Poached Chicken Broth Soup
 
serves 2 generously
 
3T of fresh ginger peeled and sliced into matchsticks
2cloves garlic smashed and rough chopped
1T vegetable oil
2-3 star anise pods
48oz box of your best low sodium chicken broth
soy sauce to taste- start with 2T
1 large chicken breast or leftover cold chicken cooked
1 bunch scallions, sliced into rings including whites and greens
1 baby bok choy, quartered and washed
drizzle of hot chili sesame oil
 
In a large pot warm the oil over medium heat, gently cook the garlic to release the oils. Do not toast.
 
Add the ginger and the star anise and then pour in the broth and soy sauce. More can be added right before serving to adjust for taste. 
 
Allow to come up to a boil and then slip in the uncooked chicken. Gently simmer until cooked through. Time will vary based on the thickness of the breast, but allow 20 mins or so. If using precooked chicken allow the broth to simmer for 15 minutes to develop the flavors and then add the chicken to warm through.
 
Right before serving add the bok choy and allow to gently cook to a tender/crunchy stage- just a minute or so.
 
Top off with scallion and a drizzle of hot chili oil right before serving and add more soy sauce if needed to taste.

Easy Entertaining: Feta spread with Minted Tomato Salad

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Lazy Sunday afternoons are my favorite time to gather people together. I have some sweet memories of when I was a kid and my parents would sometimes pack up my brother and me and head over to a friends house. My Father was in the antique business for the better part of my growing up, and a lot of his friends were in the business as well. In those days the wives were housewives and stayed home and watched Julia Child in the afternoon and then prepared elaborate meals for the evening. Entertaining was a wife’s domain and her pride. Putting out a luscious spread was their art and career. Those were the type of homes that we would visit.
You could count on walking into homes that smelled of good coffee, where The New York Times was strewn about, and opera or classical music played in the background. On the cocktail table would be delights, such as cheeses or pastries, to nibble on while the grown ups chatted. I’ve always loved stinky cheeses and crusty breads, and to lay on couches and eavesdrop on my Father’s business chats with his friends was heaven. I’ve always loved business talk and I learned quite a bit from nestling in the corner of that couch while the other kids ran around the yard. I could play at home all I wanted, but I loved the language and the calculations and the camaraderie that the adults shared.
Of course this would later manifest in my going into my own businesses, and as a result it felt as natural as falling off a log.
Though when it comes to entertaining, I have learned that the less fussing the better. I mean, sure, fuss away before guests arrive, but once the gathering has begun, I like to visit and relax. I often keep things at the ready too. To look in my cupboard or freezer you would think that I had a family of 8 (and don’t think I haven’t heard a word or two about it), but at the drop of a hat, I can pull out this and that and make a meal or snack- AND make Julia proud.
One quick and wonderful snack is this one above, which is also one of those delightful combinations that is greater than the sum of it’s parts. The spread is feta cheese that is whipped into submission with a little milk and garlic then laced with the best olive oil in the house. The tomatoes are simply tossed with a little oil and vinegar, but it’s the fresh hit of mint that sets this all into balance. If tomatoes are not available, cucumbers or some other juicy vegetable can work to offset the saltiness of the feta.
Lastly, flat bread is brushed with some oil and toasted. This really brings this all to life. A crunchy bread giving way to a soft inside is the perfect platform for this dish. Pile up some prosciutto to add to the party and then sit back and relax.