halloween for adults

happy halloween everyone! Just wanted to pass on a link and a couple images we did with dimity jones for her blog three to one. she wrote this fun little story about a couple cocktails for the holiday. we were more than happy to photograph them before we drank them. check out her blog often, as it has amazing writing and lots of talented photogs are featured all the time! check back here this week as we will be sharing more recipes and images. happy halloween

apple picking

we came home with loads of fruit from apple picking at stuart's farm over the weekend and wanted to come up with some new recipes. they may not be the most beautiful northern spy, macoun, baldwin and mutsu apples due to some late season rain but they taste great - it was so much fun to walk through the orchards on a cool overcast day, tasting apples before we picked them to ensure the most tart flavor and crunchy texture before filling our bags. we'll post a sweet apple recipe soon but on this cold rainy almost wintry feeling evening in nyc a savory dish felt more appropriate. there are many classic combinations but few are better than pork, apples & sage - this dish is a simple roast dinner and the apples become unbelievably tender and creamy.

Roast Pork Loin with Apples & Sage

serves 6 to 8

4 tbs olive oil, divided

3 1/2 lbs boneless pork loin roast

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

6 to 8 small tart apples, quartered or cut into wedges

6 large leaves fresh sage, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

grease a large baking dish with 1 tbs olive oil. place pork roast in fat side up and season all over with salt, pepper and 1 tbs oil. arrange apples around meat and drizzle with remaining oil. sprinkle pork and apples with sage and garlic. roast for about 1 hour or until temperature reaches 140 degrees F. let rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing to serve with apples. enjoy!

thanksgiving tears

a quick hello and some fun tears from a thanksgiving spread i styled. look for these delicious holiday dessert recipes in the november issue of everyday with rachel ray - shot by the talented jose picayo! it was so much fun to bake such a great variety of sweets and the whole crew enjoyed taste testing as well.

we had fun apple picking and can't wait to share some of the tasty recipes we came up with after the adventure. we also stopped here on the way back to the city and loved exploring such a beautiful old place full of history.

tacos

it's getting to be that time of year when preparing slow roasted meats or dishes in the slow cooker sound wonderful. this recipe was inspired by a dish we saw on diners, drive-ins & dives from a fantastic looking mexican place in cleveland - slow cooked brisket, shredded and served as yummy tacos! and it's the perfect dish to smother with this roasted tomatillo salsa.

excited to go apple picking with a friend from out of town this week and to check out this farm stand. also had an amazing day wandering among sculptures and beautiful fall colors in the hudson valley here - definitely worth the drive out of the city!

happy weekend!

Braised Beef Tacos

serves 4 to 6

for beef:

3 1/2 lb beef brisket

3 tbs ground coffee

2 tbs kosher salt

1 tsp jalapeno powder

1 tsp ground chipolte chile

2 tbs olive oil

2 cups tomato juice

1 cup coffee

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 large onion, cut into quarters

3 bay leaves

3 sticks mexican cinnamon

6 cloves garlic, smashed

1 lime, juiced

for tacos:

1 tbs olive oil

2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced

1 large onion, peeled & thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tbs heavy cream

1 tbs dried oregano

corn tortillas

tomatillo salsa

cotija cheese

avocado

preheat oven to 300 degrees F. in a small bowl, combine coffee, salt, jalapeno powder and chile powder and mix. rub all over brisket to coat well.

heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat and add olive oil. sear meat on each side until nicely browned. add remaining ingredients plus 2 cups water and bring to a simmer. cover and transfer pot to oven and cook for 3 hours or until tender. remove meat from broth and set aside until cool enough to shred. strain liquid and return to pot. simmer over medium heat until slightly reduced. stir shredded meat into broth and keep warm.

heat olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium high heat. add peppers, onion and garlic and saute 10 minutes or until softened. stir in heavy cream and oregano.

for each taco, top a warm corn tortilla with about 1/4 cup meat, a few tablespoons of stewed peppers and onions, salsa, cheese and avocado. enjoy!

green sauce

a quick hello and a very simple recipe for a great roasted tomatillo salsa. stop by later this week for a great machaca taco recipe . . . a perfect place to use this not too spicy tangy green sauce! it's also great on huevos rancheros, yum. the green market this weekend was in full autumn mode and has inspired lots of cooking on our few and far between days off.

we've been working on loads of fun projects lately and can't wait to share some new tears. (like the thanksgiving desserts spread i styled in the new EDRR - pick it up!) remember when we made homemade worcestershire here? well, we were making bloody marys with our friend dimity recently and it inspired her to post this. we celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary last week but still haven't gone out to dinner to celebrate - any suggestions for a fun new spot in nyc? happy monday!

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

makes 2 1/2 cups

1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 jalapenos, seeded and coarsely chopped

10 medium tomatillos, husks removed, scrubbed and quartered

6 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

juice of 2 limes

1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

preheat oven to 400 degrees F. toss onion, jalapenos, tomatillos, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper together on a large baking sheet. roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until softened and lightly charred. transfer to a blender with lime juice and cilantro and blend until combined and smooth with a few chunks remaining. serve warm or room temperature & enjoy!