northern spy

we've probably mentioned Northern Spy Food Co. a few times since moving to new york - it's a cozy spot in the east village focusing on sustainable, local, snout-to-tail cuisine, putting out creative dishes in a beautiful space and we love it! this kale salad is a favorite of ours and has gotten a lot of attention from food websites such as tasting table, who published the recipe a few months ago. just in case you haven't tasted it or seen it yet, we wanted to share this simple tasty recipe. getting ready for urban family Easter this weekend - the menu planning has begun and we'll be sure to take lots of pictures and share recipes. what will you be cooking?

Kale Salad

serves 2

2 1/2 cups shredded kale, preferably Tuscan

1/4 cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup crumbled aged cheddar

1/2 cup cubed roasted kabocha or butternut squash

juice of 1 lemon

extra virgin olive oil

pecorino, optional garnish

in a large mixing bowl, toss the kale with almonds, cheddar and squash. season to taste with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper. divide salad between two serving plates and garnish with shaved pecorino cheese if desired. enjoy!

corned beef

if you still have any corned beef leftover from saint patrick's day on wednesday, here's a great thing to do with it. and if not, it's a great reason to get out the slow cooker and make some more! we have a special place in our stomachs for deli sandwiches, especially from Katz's or Brent's, but sometimes it's fun to make it at home just the way you like it. this is the way we like it, but you could always add sauerkraut, sliced tomato, swiss cheese, spicy mustard . . . how do you like it? have a great weekend.

Corned Beef Sandwich

makes 2

1 cup shredded cabbage

1/2 carrot, peeled & shredded

1/4 small jalapeno, seeded and diced

1/4 cup plus 1 tbs mayonnaise

1 tbs cider vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp celery salt

1 tbs ketchup

1/2 tsp sweet pickle relish

1/4 tsp worcestershire

4 slices rye bread

8-10 thick slices corned beef

in a medium bowl, combine cabbage, carrot, jalapeno, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar and celery salt. set aside. in a small bowl, combine remaining mayonnaise, ketchup, relish and worcestershire. spread 1-2 tablespoons of dressing on two slices of bread. top each with corned beef and divide coleslaw between two sandwiches. top with remaining bread and enjoy!

irish soda bread

a quick and easy recipe for irish soda bread packed with whiskey soaked raisins to help you celebrate today! it would be perfect with a cup of irish breakfast tea tomorrow morning, after a night of a few too many pints of guinness. the recipe is from this cookbook, a fabulous guide to baking all things bread which i'm sure we'll be posting many more recipes from soon. happy saint patrick's day!

Irish Soda Bread

makes 1 loaf

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup irish whiskey

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

3 tbs sugar

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

4 tbs unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

3/4 cup plus 1 tbs buttermilk

soak the raisins in whiskey overnight or for at least 30 minutes. drain and set aside. preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. in a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda and salt. using your fingers, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. stir in the raisins. with a rubber spatula, stir in the buttermilk until just combined. knead lightly until the dough is smooth and fully incorporated. shape the dough into a 6-inch round and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet. make 1/2-inch deep slits to across the top of the round, forming a cross. bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and a wooden skewer comes out clean. cool on a rack completely. this bread can be frozen for up to one month and reheated in the oven at 300 degrees F for 20-30 minutes. enjoy!

chocolate Guinness cake

this wednesday is one of our favorite food holidays - after thanksgiving, easter, christmas . . . ok, i guess most holidays are a great excuse to make something special and we really don't have a favorite! last year we celebrated st. patrick's day with colcannon and it will definitely be on our plates again this year with some corned beef, cabbage and a few pints of Guinness. this lovely chocolate cake combines stout and prunes for an extra moist and rich result. it's perfect with a little vanilla ice cream while sipping some irish whiskey after dinner! check back this week for a few more st. paddy's day recipes, including something to do with all that leftover corned beef.

Chocolate Stout Cake

serves 6

(adapted from gourmet.com)

1/2 cup stout such as Guinness

1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped

1 stick unsalted butter, chopped

3 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. bring beer to a boil in a small saucepan and add prunes. remove from heat and let stand. melt chocolate and butter a little at a time in the microwave, stirring often, or in a heavy saucepan over low heat. sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together eggs, sugar and vanilla until thick. add chocolate and beat until combined. reduce speed to low and add flour mixture. stir in prune mixture until well combined. divide batter between 6 greased 10-cm spring form pans, an 8x3-inch ringmold or a 6 cup capacity bundt pan. bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. cool cake 15 minutes on a wire rack, remove from pan and cool completely. enjoy!

gingersnaps & jam

if you happen to be looking for a very easy, nice & light dessert to whip up using ingredients that you probably have on hand any given day, then look no further. this is a recipe my mom made several years ago from an old issue of martha stewart and i immediately fell in love. there are endless flavor options from substituting different kinds of cookies and jam but some reason i can't get past gingersnaps and raspberry jam.

we also have a few random tidbits to mention today. be sure to check out the apr/may issue of Fine Cooking to see a great noodle article i styled along with the cover! we just picked up a bag of these amazing caramels at Marlow & Daughters and they sure didn't last long. also, if you twitter, look for us @picturenpancake - we don't tweet often but are trying to more & more. lastly, check out this fabulous article in the ny times about the coffee scene in new york - a perfect read as we sipped new orleans iced coffees from the newly opened blue bottle in brooklyn. have a great weekend!

Gingersnap & Jam Parfait

makes 4

3/4 cup raspberry jam

3 tbs lemon juice

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1/4 tsp ground ginger

8 gingersnaps, crushed

whisk together jam and lemon juice and set aside. beat sour cream, cream, sugar, vanilla, cardamom and ginger until stiff peaks form. layer about 1 tablespoon whipped cream mixture, 1 tablespoons crushed gingersnaps and 1 tablespoon of jam. repeat and top with a dollop of whipped cream. enjoy!

spring fever

it was too nice out today and for the past several days to cook much at home. we had a fun afternoon & evening today wandering around the city on foot - enjoying the bright sun, warm breeze and fifty degree weather! had a fantastic lunch here and can't wait to go back very very soon, nice ginger cookie & iced coffee break here and another sweet treat here. we are trying to spend a few moments every tuesday to go out and try something new in the city - we'll keep you posted on what's new & exciting to us as we explore. any suggestions for spots we just shouldn't miss?

celery root

celery root is a very strange and scary looking vegetable! but with a little love it can be turned into so many beautiful dishes. i was first introduced to the root as this classic french dish when recipe testing for this cookbook. this luscious rich soup makes a perfect lunch or dinner and pairs nicely with a lovely green salad. it couldn't be easier to make, especially with the help of this fantastic tool! immersion blenders make silky smooth soups in seconds and the whisk attachment means you don't have to lug out the kitchen aid stand mixer for a small bit of whipped cream. next time i grab some celery root at the greenmarket, i'm going to try this beautiful salad!

Celery Root Soup

serves 4

3 leeks, white & yellow only, cleaned & sliced

1 tbs olive oil, plus more for garnish

1 1/2 lbs celery root, peeled & cubed

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 slices crispy bacon, crumbled

1/2 tart apple, cut into thin matchsticks

in a medium sized pot, saute leeks in oil until softened, about 8-10 minutes. add celery root, chicken broth and 3 cups of water. bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook 30-40 minutes or until celery root is soft. puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender. return to pot, off heat and stir in heavy cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. thin soup with a little water until desired consistency is reached. ladle into bowls and garnish with crumbled bacon, sliced apple and a drizzle of olive oil. enjoy!

side salad

we had a fun week/weekend entertaining the in-laws and are still recovering from all the food and wine we managed to consume in a short amount of time. despite the snowy weather we had some great dinners here and here. we decided to cook at home one cozy night and this side dish was the perfect addition to grilled lamb chops, garlic bread, spinach salad and roasted asparagus. it's a very easy bean salad from this awesome cookbook. hope you enjoy it as much as we did! off to see if this has opened yet and very excited for this show tonight!

White Bean Salad

serves 6-8

1 tbs minced shallot

1 tsp dijon mustard

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/4 tsp worcestershire sauce

2 1/2 tbs red wine vinegar

2 tbs fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup olive oil

3 15-oz cans cannellini beans, drained

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped dill, mint or basil

3 green onions, chopped

combine shallot, mustard, salt, pepper, worcestershire, vinegar, lemon juice and oil in a small bowl and whisk to combine. in a large bowl, toss beans, onion, herbs and green onion with vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper to taste. serve immediately or refrigerate.