Memorial Day Steak Salad

May 18, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

I had a revelation a few weeks ago. I was sitting on my friend Lucy’s back deck having lunch when it came to me: steak salad is flipping amazing. In between bites of excellently cooked beef (thanks Shane!) I tried to remember the last time I had it and drew a blank. Was it really that long?

It’s clear to me that this American classic has been shockingly neglected in my kitchen. Thankfully, I realized my mistake just in time for summer, a season made for steak salad if there ever was one.

You’ll notice that there aren’t a ton of frills here – no crumbles of blue cheese, no sprinkle of crisp bacon or chopped egg - and that’s intentional. I wanted this to still actually be a salad, a dish that highlights the deliciousness of grilled sirloin for sure, but one that also gives the great summer produce space to shine.

It requires very little cooking, all of which is done ahead of time and can be done outside. It’s substantial but light enough for the hot months and steak always feels special, so it’s perfect for guests. I see only upside to this dish and that it will be making a more regular appearance on our dinner table in the weeks to come, maybe even this weekend…

Memorial Day Steak Salad (serves 6)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 - 3 pound tri-tip sirloin steak
8 cups baby spinach or arugula, washed and dried
3 medium carrots, shaved
1 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Brianna’s buttermilk ranch or creamy blue cheese

Instructions:
About 30 minutes before cooking, remove the steak from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Pat both sides dry with paper towels and sprinkle generously with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until quite hot.

Sear the steak for 5-6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove from the heat and cover with foil. Rest 10-15 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute in the steak. Place the entire steak in the refrigerator and chill for 2-3 hours, or until ready to serve.

Thinly slice the chilled tri-tip and place on top of the salad greens, shaved carrots, cucumber slices and tomato halves among the plates. Drizzle with dressing to taste, I prefer Brianna’s Classic Buttermilk Ranch.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
100%. I used a grill pan, large platter, medium cutting board, tongs, a chef’s knife, and a vegetable peeler, and foil, paper towels. That’s it!

The Verdict:
As you can imagine this went over well. Both Mike and I love a beautifully cooked steak (medium/medium-rare) and serving it cold is a refreshing change. Normally I go for vinaigrettes, but in this case an awesome buttermilk ranch is the perfect compliment. The crisp vegetables and the bitterness of the arugula, are all balanced by the creamy dressing. We will definitely be looking for as many excuses as we can find to make this recipe. I hope you do too!

Lemon Risotto Carbonara with Green Peas

April 13, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

I absolutely loooove risotto and pasta carbonara is one of my all-time favorite things to order when I’m in Italian restaurants. When you think about it there are some parallels – a silky, rich sauce; deceptively simple preparations; classic Italian fare.

I’m not sure exactly when I started thinking about combining the two dishes, but I know that the source of the lemon was a glorious lunch at Isabella’s a few months ago. Lemon gnocchi prepared carbonara style with a crispy poached egg and thickly cut pieces of bacon - heaven! A plan was hatched and I started practicing my risotto and carbonara skills with this dish in mind. Side note: I’m also dying to know how they made that egg so crispy but still soft in the middle….

Purists will surely shake their heads over the addition of lemon and peas to something called carbonara, but I’m banking on the risotto - which has many, many variations - as my cover for taking liberties. This recipe is easily a meal in itself perfect with a little salad and a glass of white wine.

Lemon Risotto Carbonara with Green Peas (serves: 4 entrée portions)

Ingredients:
2 cups Arborio rice
7-8 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/3 pound slab bacon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
10 ounce package frozen green peas
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:
Heat the chicken stock in a medium sauce pan until just below a simmer, reduce heat to keep the stock warm, but not boiling.

Meanwhile, dice the slab bacon into 1/4 inch strips and sauté in a large dutch oven over medium-low heat until crispy and browned, 7-10 minutes. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Reduce the heat to low and melt the olive oil and unsalted butter into the remaining bacon fat. Sprinkle the Arborio rice into the dutch oven and stir to coat in the melted butter and olive oil. Cook the rice for 2-3 minutes, stirring occassionally before adding the white wine and lemon juice (zest the lemon before juicing!).

Once the white wine and lemon juice have been absorbed and the pot has been deglazed, add 1 ladle of the hot chicken stock to the rice. Stir until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding another ladleful. While the rice is cooking, beat the eggs in a small bowl and grate the parmesan cheese.

Continue the process of adding the stock and stirring. The risotto is done when the rice is al dente, about 20-25 minutes, and creamy sauce has formed. The consistency should be thick, but not stiff, almost pourable, but not runny. It’s a fine line!

When the last ladle of chicken stock has been absorbed turn off the heat and stir in the beaten eggs and grated parmesan cheese until well combined. The sauce will thicken slightly and turn a pale yellow.

Finally, while the risotto is still quite warm stir in the frozen peas (no need to defrost) and give it a final seasoning of the lemon zest and black pepper. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of the crispy slab bacon pieces. Enjoy!

Inspired by Isabella’s and written with reference to Risotto Carbonara by Kitchen Sink Diaries and Spaghetti Alla Carbonara by Tyler Florence.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, even though you will need two pots. I used a 2 quart sauce pan and surprise surprise, my trusty blue 5.5qt Le Creuset French oven. I also needed a small cutting board, chef’s knife, measuring cups, wooden spatula, and microplane grater (excellent for both the cheese and the lemon zest.)

The Verdict:
Carbonara can sometimes be a little much - egg, AND parmesan, AND bacon - so for me the lemon and green peas help balance the richness and reduce my guilt over devouring a healthy portion. The other part I like about cooking this recipe is that while Lemon Risotto Carbonara is fairly easy, there’s just enough fussing (not too much, after all this is practically a one-pot meal) to inspire my inner chef. Cooking risotto takes some practice and if you need additional advice on how to master the technique I’d recommend this great guide on The Kitchn.

Scouting: Brooklyn Grange Farm

August 22, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Scouting

Brooklyn Grange Farm, Brooklyn Navy Yard | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Brooklyn Grange Farm, Brooklyn Navy Yard** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

The longer I live in New York the less surprised I am by the ingenuity of New Yorkers. Millions of people manage to go about life side by side with millions of other people in small spaces, the majority without cars, and it all seems to work somehow – miraculous and mundane.

That’s pretty much how I felt when I learned about Brooklyn Grange Farm – yes that’s right the words “Brooklyn” and “Farm” are both in the name. Farming, something humans have been doing for thousands of years but in an urban setting on a large scale. As I snooped through their website it began to make perfect sense and then I had to see it for myself.

The idea in a nutshell is to repurpose otherwise un- or under-utilized commercial rooftops – old-school concrete warehouses for example – and turn them into growing space for crops like kale, tomatoes, carrots, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, etc, etc... The farms also offers a home for honeybee hives, chicken coops, helps recycle and manage rainwater, and processes compost from household food scraps to fertilize the beds.

The produce is sold at local farmers markets, to restaurants, and to CSA members in the New York area. I thought I had a pretty solid idea of what it would be like, but I was still amazing by the scope of the project and frankly by the breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline from the top of Farm #2 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

If you’re even remotely interested in gardening or local produce I highly recommend taking one of their tours, and I already have my sights set on the some of the events the Brooklyn Grange Farm hosts. The Brown Paper Dinner in early October for a certain husband’s birthday, for example…

Risotto Primavera

June 25, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

As inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts each week I follow along with Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, in my tiny New York kitchen. Let’s see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Impromptu Dinner”

The Set-up: Ina’s friend and creative jack-of-all-trades, Miguel, is in town and she invited him to a spur of the moment dinner Chez Garten.

The Menu: Risotto Primavera, Caramel Pecan Sundaes, Shortbread Cookies

0:48 – Ina explains that Miguel is in the Hamptons doing research on historic homes for a photo shoot and when he called she just had to invite him to dinner. We don’t see this phone call, but if I were an F.O.I. (that’s Friend of Ina) I would totally hit her up anytime I was within an hour radius. Well played, Miguel.

1:07 – The challenge is, can she make an entire dinner from things she already has in the pantry? I know I can and it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare: cereal!

2:11 – But for real now, first up: dessert. We get a quick how-to on Shortbread Cookie dough before Ina starts rolling them out. Oh, the counter space in that glorious barn kitchen! I’ll give you a minute to revel…

3:16 – Additional perks of being a F.O.I.: introductions to the movers and shakers of the East Hampton Historical Society. We get a few glimpses of Miguel touring the Osborne Jackson House. Spoiler alert! There are old time-y kitchen tools.

4:59 – Now Ina is making a little chocolate glaze for the Shortbread Cookies. In order to get the chocolate to harden to a glossy finish it has to be tempered.

5:36 – Apparently this is an annoying process, so Ina gives us “Tempering for Idiots.” Pro Tip#1: melt part of the shaved (not cubed!) chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between until it’s just melted. Then add in the remaining chocolate shavings.

6:44 – As she dips the cookies in the chocolate she remarks how it’s nice when they don’t look like they’re straight from a box. One of my favorite things about Ina; she makes a virtue of imperfect, homemade looking food.

11:23 – This meal appears to be 50% entrée, 50% dessert (all good in my book) because now it’s Caramel Pecan Sundae time. Ina toasts the pecans, of course, and then starts the caramel sauce.

12:32 – I am super intimidated by anything that involves boiling sugar but this looks fairly simple. Pro Tip #2: Ina says swirl, don’t stir the sugar and water or it will solidify.

13:19 – Off the heat before adding the cream and vanilla. She says stand back it will “bubble up violently” and she’s right – terrifying. Now it’s okay to stir? Hmm. Caramel sauce will require more research…

13:56 – Back to Miguel for a moment. He’s doing a credible job of feigning interest* in the “original milk paint.” Keep up the good work!

14:08 – Ina claims that everyone has some kind of ice cream in the freezer, which is probably true, but hers is brand new pints of Haagen Dazs and mine is half eaten Edy’s slow churn.

14:47 – We get some additional thoughts on “dressing ice cream up for company:” Triple Raspberry Sauce and Affogato (aka hot espresso over vanilla ice cream.) Sign me up!

19:13 – Now for the main course: Risotto Primavera. As Ina chops leeks and fennel she tells us that she thinks cooking is hard (Lord help the rest of us, right?) so to make it easier she has a few basic recipes and varies the ingredients to make something totally different. That’s fair I guess.

20:42 – As the leeks and fennel sauté Ina reveals that her “one weakness” is keeping lots of homemade chicken stock in the freezer. Question is: should we believe her? What if her weakness actually “really good vanilla” or “very cold butter”? Probably best to leave that one alone in case she’s bluffing…

21:34 – I need all the help I can get with risotto, so here’s Pro Tip #3: Coating the Arborio rice with the butter and oil keep the risotto from becoming sticky.

22:29 – Ina also shares that she thinks making risotto “therapeutic” at the end of a long day; just standing there and stirring. If I had this dish a little more under control I’d probably agree. Alas, for me it’s stressful!

22:45 – We check in with Miguel again. He compliments the fireplace in the master bedroom and says it will be “perfect for the [alleged] photo shoot.” Fairly sure this is all an elaborate ruse to get dinner out of Ina. Miguel is wily*.

23:21 – Back to Risotto Primavera. Ina tells us that she doesn’t really believe in frozen vegetables, except for peas and asparagus. Convenient, yes? I’m pretty much with her, but I’ll also use corn and green beans. Please don’t judge.

27:16 – Did anyone else notice the glass of white wine on the counter? No wonder cooking risotto is so “therapeutic.”

28:38 – A few finishing touches mainly in the form of CHEESE! Mascarpone and Parmesean for anyone who’s curious.

29:51 – Miguel arrives and pretends this wasn’t his real destination* Ina ushers him in and it’s dinnertime!

*I do not know Miguel and this statement should not be interpreted as fact. I'm just assuming...

Final Thoughts:

I am so not adept at ‘impromptu’ dinners – perhaps my pantry & freezer stocks need a little TLC?

The concept of basic recipes with multiple variations is brilliant!

Ina’s friends have the best jobs – florist, location scout, magazine editor, pastry chef…

Lessons Learned:

Hmm, two rice dishes in a row? Oh, well. Since my first risotto was only semi-successful I thought a second try with Risotto Primavera was in order. I watched Ina very carefully and I think my earlier issues were because I didn’t fully coat the rice in the butter and olive oil, and also added the stock too slowly.

Tip number one, don’t be stingy with the stirring when you first add the rice. The butter coating is important!

My second tip involves a little math. Try this one on: once the leeks, fennel and rice are all in the pot the remaining cooking time should be ~20 minutes. The recipe calls for 4 cups of hot stock total to be added 2 ladles at a time. One ladleful = approx. ½ cup of stock, so each time the stock is added it's about 1 cup. 20 minutes divided by 4 cups of stock means an average of 5 minutes for absorption. If after the first addition of stock it’s taking more or less time than 5 minutes then adjust the flame under the pot (higher or lower) so that your cooking time settles in to that rate. Does that make sense?

The third tip is to taste the rice periodically like you might when cooking pasta. Revolutionary, right? It won’t be fully seasoned yet since the salt, pepper and cheese come later, but you will be able to see how close to ‘al dente’ you are and make adjustments.

Using these guidelines I'm happy to day that my Risotto Primavera turned out much, much better than the Butternut Squash Risotto I made in April. Not mushy at all! Still working on the creaminess, but I think I’m well on the way to “therapeutic” risotto cooking!

Small Kitchen Friendly?

It depends. If you’re going with the Ina method of using frozen veggies, then it can be done with just two pots on the stove. But if you need to blanch fresh asparagus like I did, then you’re up to three pots and a large bowl. Choose your own adventure...

I used a 5 qt dutch oven, two medium sauce pans (one for chicken stock, one for blanching), a medium bowl, and a medium sized cutting board. I also used a chef’s knife, a box grater, a microplane grater, a wooden spatula, and measuring cups & measuring spoons.

The Verdict:

I made this on a warm evening this week and the fresh spring-y flavors of the Risotto Primavera are excellent for a summer dinner even though it’s a hot dish. Definitely add the lemon zest and juice to keep it bright and balance out the creaminess of the cheese. This one is a winner, and since the vegetables in the recipe are available year-round I’d still make this in the dead of winter when spring seems far away.